Arts Council Wales is looking to commission a range of new creative content by different artists and creative practitioners for the Cultural Cwtsh. Designed to support our colleagues who work within the NHS and Social Care across Wales, the Cultural Cwtsh is an online collection of resources that aims to use the restorative power of the arts to support the wellbeing of those who care for us. 

The Brief: 

We are looking for artists, creative practitioners and arts organisations across all artforms who: 

  • have great ideas for digital creative activities that NHS and care staff can participate in 

  • can bring the activity alive through short, engaging videos (max 15 mins) 

  • have a clear sense of how the activity can support wellbeing (eg through providing fun, comfort, distraction, solace, relaxation, stimulation, an outlet for expression, a new skill etc) 

  • Who have an engaging presentation style and can inspire others to be creative, participate and get involved 

We are keen to commission content in both English and Welsh from artists based across Wales. We especially welcome proposals from artists from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds as well as D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists. And for this round in particular, we’re keen to hear from artists who have strong creative ideas for music, drama, and circus activities. 

Please note that this commissioning fund is to support artistic and creative ideas. We’re not looking for more general wellbeing activities such as meditation, yoga and mindfulness (valuable though these all are) as they are already readily available to NHS staff and beyond the scope of our recognised artform disciplines. 

Take a look at the Cultural Cwtsh website to get an idea of the content we have commissioned to date and to see how your creative idea could complement and add variety what already exists. 

The audience for this work 

The Cultural Cwtsh is a bespoke online wellbeing resource for staff working in the NHS and Social Care sector in Wales. The health sector has the biggest workforce in Wales employing around 90,000 people. Having been at the forefront of the pandemic, our healthcare staff have faced very significant challenges and pressures over a prolonged period which has impacted their own health and wellbeing.   

From nurses and doctors to porters and cooks; carers in residential care homes and domicilary settings; psychiatrists and paramedics to desk-based administrators, the healthcare workforce is diverse. The Cultural Cwtsh is being designed in partnership and consultation with Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW), Social Care Wales, the Welsh NHS Confederation, the Arts & Health Coordinators within Health Boards and focus groups of healthcare workers. These conversations have told us that healthcare workers are likely to access the Cwtsh at different times (eg before a shift; during a lunch break; at home after work) and for a range of reasons - to destress & relax, switch off, gain comfort or to lift their spirits, feel energised and have fun. 

As the pandemic continues, we’re looking for creative ideas and content that will appeal and bring joy to a wide range of colleagues working across Health and Social Care. We’re looking for ideas and content as extraordinary as the healthcare staff they are designed for. 

Fees of up to £3,000 per commission are available to enable artists to plan, film and deliver digital content to a professional standard. Commissioned content will need to be ready for uploading to the Cwtsh website as we do not have a facility to edit your digital content once submitted. The commission fee of £3,000 therefore allows artists to engage a technical partner and hire a space if required. 

We anticipate commissioning up to 20 artists through this call out. We anticipate further opportunities being available in the future. 

Deadline for proposals: 12 noon on 31 May 2022 

Interested? Please click here to get more information and apply. 

Background context and link to our wider work on Arts, Health & Wellbeing 

Harnessing the power of the arts to contribute positively to our nation’s health and wellbeing is central to our mission and an important priority for the Arts Council of Wales. It has gained particular momentum throughout the pandemic, as more people and communities across Wales have turned to creative activities as an important source of enjoyment, connection, solace and meaning. 

Partnership is at the heart of all our work to help build a heathier Wales. Our Memorandum of Understanding with the Welsh NHS Confederation, now in its fourth year, has enabled us to work strategically and collaboratively to raise awareness of the health benefits of engaging in the arts. And through our lottery funding, we support arts organisations, individual artists, local authorities and health partners to deliver a wealth of initiatives and programmes that are improving the outcomes for participants and patients in exciting ways. 

In addition to the Cultural Cwtsh, our extensive programme of Arts & Health activity includes: 

  • Providing funding support for all Health Boards in Wales to engage an Arts & Health Coordinator; 

  • Acting as the secretariat for the National Assembly’s Cross-party Group on Arts & Health; 

  • Investing in training and the sharing of best practice through WAHWN Wales Arts Health & Wellbeing Network; 

  • Backing innovation through our partnership with Y Lab and the HARP Programme to test new ideas that can be sustained and scaled; 

  • Celf a’r Meddwl /Arts & Minds – a national mental health and the arts programme in partnership with the Baring Foundation and the health boards across Wales   

  • A joint programme of work – Celf ar y Cyd – with Amgueddfa Cymru to share and exhibit artwork from our national collections within hospitals across Wales; 

  • The cARTrefu Programme - with AGE Cymru and the Baring Foundation- - supporting creative approaches to care through Artists in Residence within care homes. 

Eligibility 

Applicants should: 

  • Be a creative professional (aged 18 or over) or an arts organisation based in Wales. 

  • Work in one of our supported disciplines (music, dance, theatre, circus, literature, visual and applied arts, combined/multidisciplinary arts, digital arts). 

  • Have a track record of working within the arts /arts and health/ cultural sectors 

  • Be able to produce digital content to a professional standard (as an individual artist collaborating with a film-maker / as an organisation) 

How to apply 

You’ll need to fill in a simple, online proposal form and send a short video clip of yourself presenting your creative idea.   

On the proposal form, you’ll be asked to: 

  • Tell us about your creative practice and any experience that is particularly relevant to this commission 

  • Outline your creative idea and the arts activity you’d like to create for the Cultural Cwtsh (including how you will engage your audience and get them participating) and explain how the activity will support the wellbeing of health and social care staff 

  • Tell us how you plan to film your activity (and list any collaborators who may assist you with the technical elements of filming / editing / producing the video) 

  • Include links to existing digital content to provide assurance of quality 

The video clip should be short (2 mins max) and provide us with a sense of your presentation style and approach to sharing your creative skills with others. We’re not expecting professionally produced videos at proposal stage (it can be filmed on your phone) but it should persuade us that you can engage people in your work and inspire them to get involved. You’ll be required to send us your video via We Transfer. You’ll find full details on the online proposal form. 

How will we assess the proposals? 

The following factors will guide our decisions when considering proposals: 

  • The strength of your creative idea and its potential to appeal to healthcare staff and provide opportunities for them to participate 

  • The potential for your activity to deliver wellbeing outcomes for participants 

  • Your track record as an artist / creative professional 

  • Evidence that you can produce digital content to a professional standard 

  • A strong indication from your video clip that you can connect and inspire others to be creative, and get involved 

  • The overall balance and range of content across the cohort of commissions – in terms of artforms, language of delivery, and artist diversity 

When will you know if you’ve been successful? 

Successful applicants will be notified by the end of June. Due to the anticipated high level of interest in this opportunity, we regret that will be unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants. 

If you have any questions about this commission, you can email them to culturalcwtsh@arts.wales 

Click on the link below to apply 

Cultural Cwtsh Creative Content Proposal Form 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How much content will be commissioned? 

We anticipate commissioning 20 pieces of content through this call out. 

Can I make multiple applications? 

No, as we want to commission a range of artists, each applicant can only submit one proposal.  Any further commissioning opportunities for the Cultural Cwtsh will be publicised via our newsletter, website and social media channels. 

Is the call out open to artists and art organisations? 

Yes. If you have any questions relating to eligibility please email us at culturalcwtsh@arts.wales 

Can I apply if I already have a ‘live’ lottery grant from the Arts Council? 

Yes 

How much content are you expecting from each commission? 

We’re expecting digital content of approximately 15 minutes for each £3,000 commission. This could consist of two or three linked videos (5 mins each) or a longer video of this length. Our field research has underlined how busy healthcare staff are and suggested that they are likely to access the content in short, bite-sized bursts.   

How will I be paid? 

Payment will be on receipt of invoice following successful delivery of digital content. 

Can I claim additional costs for expenses and materials used in creating the content? 

No, the £3,000 commission fee is a flat fee and calculated to cover all artistic and production costs. 

What happens if I need production help? 

We recognise that some artists may need to engage a skilled video professional to help them produce digital content to a professional standard. The £3,000 fee has been calculated with this in mind and should cover all aspects of the planning, filming and delivery of the digital content. The applicant will be responsible for paying any collaborators’ fees out of their overall commission fee. 

What is the timeline for delivering content?   

Content will need to be delivered to the project team by the 5th of August 2022 at the very latest.