The Arts Council of Wales has awarded £324,572 to 9 projects across all parts of Wales from its new Arts, Health and Wellbeing fund.

The Arts, Health and Wellbeing fund is a new National Lottery fund designed to support high-quality creative projects that deliver health and wellbeing benefits for the people of Wales. It is open to applications from organisations working together across the arts, health, social care and third sectors.

Commenting today, Arts Council of Wales Chair, Phil George said:

“Thanks to National Lottery players, and the money they raise each week for good causes, we’ve been able to create this new fund which supports innovative responses to opportunities in arts, health and wellbeing. This is an area that is becoming increasingly important to the health sector and is a strategic priority for the Arts Council of Wales. We’re delighted that we’ve been able to take a step forward with this first round of awards to some really exciting partnership projects.”

Arts and Health lead and Arts Council Portfolio Manager, Sally Lewis also said:

“We were thrilled by the wealth of imaginative proposals submitted to our new fund and are delighted to be able to support nine excellent projects in all parts of Wales. The projects respond creatively to a range of current health challenges including a singing and breathing project to support people recovering from long Covid; song-writing workshops for people experiencing poor mental health and loneliness; outdoor art activities for people processing loss and bereavement and a lullaby project for isolated new mothers and babies.

“We received 26 partnership applications for the first round of this fund in May, with the total request of £815,787 and number of good ideas far exceeding the available funds of £300,000. It highlights the growing interest in how the arts can contribute to improving people’s health and wellbeing in new and meaningful ways.”

END                                                   20 July 2021


Notes to editors:

The 4 headline priorities for this fund are:

1) supporting better mental health and wellbeing through the arts;

2) tackling health inequalities

3) supporting improved physical health following the pandemic and

4) supporting the wellbeing of staff (both within the arts and health sectors)

Applications had to demonstrate:

  • Genuine partnerships and collaboration between arts organisations and health partners
  • A clear shared purpose around tackling a relevant health challenge
  • An artistically vibrant proposition at the heart
  • Clearly intended outcomes and benefits for the participants / patients
  • A strong learning and evaluation plan underpinning the project with clear questions that the partners want to explore through the project
  • Potential for the model to be grown / scaled / sustained
  • Potential for the project to have a wider impact on systems across health / the arts / wider sector benefits.

The Nine projects awarded grants from the Arts, Health and well-being fund are as follows:

Lead applicant

Award

Project summary

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

 

£52,351

Cardiff Royal Infirmary: People, Place, Future places artists and creative engagement at the heart of connecting vulnerable and marginalised communities with NHS services. It brings together an exciting mix of arts, health and third sector partners including artist, John Rea and a team of community artists; Cardiff Women's Aid; Oasis Centre for refugees and asylum seekers; Four Elms GP practice; National Museum Wales and Cardiff Health Access Practice.
 

Ae-sop

£49,766

Dance for falls prevention with older people across Bridgend and Porthcawl in partnership with ETC Dance & Bridgend Primary Health Cluster

Live Music Now Wales

£42,931

Lullaby project for isolated mothers and babies including those at Swansea Bay’s Perinatal Mental Health Unit in partnership with Operasonic

Head4Arts

£9,315

Arts in green spaces for people across the south east / valleys going through bereavement - in partnership with Cruse

Community Music Wales

£35,000

Collaborative song-writing workshops with people experiencing mild-severe mental health conditions – in partnership with 3 NHS mental health centres in Bangor, Rhyl and Cardiff

Welsh National Opera

£50,000

Singing/ breathing project for people recovering from long Covid in partnership with all 7 Health Boards

The Body Hotel

£16,992

Live and digital dance respite for NHS staff in partnership with HEIW and the Wales School for Social Prescribing

People Speak Up Ltd

£50,000

Stories on prescription for people experiencing loneliness / social isolation across Llanelli and Carmarthenshire in partnership with the Red Cross, Age Cymru, Theatr Sir Gar and Swansea University

Denbighshire Leisure Limited

£18,217

Arts on prescription for people with mental health conditions in partnership with MIND, Tŷ Môr Day Centre, Rhyl and local authority services in Prestatyn, Denbigh, Corwen & Llangollen. 

For more information please contact:
Arts Council of Wales press office 029 2044 1344 / 1307