Health Conversation Cumbria

1st Cumbria Arts in Health Conversation 
On Thursday 17th January I attended the above event. Keynote speakers were - Clive Parkinson, who is the Director of Arts for Health and the nascent Manchester Institute for Arts, Health and Social Change. Hayley Youell, who is events co-ordinator for the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance and Jo Ward, whose work includes working on an NHSE social subscribing remit. There were other speakers who brought a wide range of skills in the Arts to what proved to be an amazing day of professional practice and exchanges of ideas. There were also workshops spread out throughout the day. Coming from a dance/drama background one of the workshops that interested me in particular was called, Interdisciplinary ways of working. This was a workshop lead by Susie Tate, Director of Healing Arts and Sandie Fisher, Principal lecturer of Performing Arts at the University of Cumbria. This was a taster of the work being done by a Healing Arts project called About Being which is a dance programme for stroke survivors. The use of imagery and music was used to aid with regular movement such as standing, walking, bending etc. Throughout the workshop it became obvious that this project meant so much to the stroke survivors taking part, not just for exercise or strength of movement but for mental wellbeing and a positive attitude.
The whole day made me hopeful that having conversations between health and arts practitioners can make healing through the arts something that has an important part to play in healthcare in the future.

Comments

  1. Suze2119 January 2019 at 09:21

    Thank you Debbie! Great to have your input and thoughts on the day

    ReplyDelete

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