Mali Haf and Efa Blosse-Mason have created a unique meditation for the Cultural Cwtsh, the creative wellbeing resource for Wales’ health and care staff.
Welsh singer Mali Haf has teamed up with illustrator Efa Blosse-Mason to produce a first-of-its-kind mindfulness animation through the medium of Welsh that aims to support NHS and care workers.
In this new collaboration, called ‘Myfyrdod’ (which means ‘Meditation’), Welsh speakers are taken on a 10-minute mindfulness journey narrated by Mali. Its serene, calming animation and visuals were created by Efa, a Cardiff filmmaker and illustrator.
Ensuring it was created in the Welsh language, Mali explained, was crucial. “The world is becoming more aware of mental health, how vital it is and what's putting pressure on it,” she said. “There are so many resources in the English language but I like to be led through my meditation in Welsh. It's nice to not have to translate continuously and be able to relate directly with the content.”
The Cultural Cwtsh, created by the Arts Council of Wales with funding support from Welsh Government, is part of an ongoing programme of partnership work in the field of Arts and Health that aims to raise awareness of the proven wellbeing benefits of engaging in the arts.
The resource has been designed in consultation with Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW), Social Care Wales, the Welsh NHS Confederation, the Arts and Health Coordinators within each Health Board, as well as focus groups of healthcare workers.
Efa and Mali’s mindfulness sessions for the Cultural Cwtsh can be found here – https://culturalcwtsh.wales/myfyrdod
For more information, or for interview opportunities, contact the Cultural Cwtsh team at culturalcwtsh@arts.wales