Could your creativity help spread the National Conversation on mental wellbeing?

Public Health Wales would like to commission 6 artists to create high-quality digital content on the theme of “inspiring action to protect and promote mental wellbeing”. This will support Hapus – our long-term programme to help protect and improve the mental wellbeing of people in Wales.

The Hapus programme includes several elements, all aimed at encouraging people to prioritise their mental wellbeing and to engage with activities that support it. We work with national and local partners in the public and voluntary and community sectors, raising awareness of the existing evidence base on what works for wellbeing, building further evidence and, crucially, starting a National Conversation about mental wellbeing.

In previous commissions artists have helped to engage people in the conversation, provoking people to think about what wellbeing means to them. You can explore these commissions here:

We now want to share ideas and resources that help inspire us all to take action to support our mental wellbeing and that of others.

Activities that we find enjoyable, and that allow us to explore our interests contribute to positive health and wellbeing. The activities that boost our mental wellbeing will differ between individuals, but research tells us there are some common themes in terms of what's important for our mental wellbeing; social connections, learning, physical health, our thoughts and feelings, history and heritage, creativity, hobbies and interests and nature. Creative outputs may include reflections on these themes and the aspects of everyday life which can help us to feel good and function well.

Through the development of Hapus, we have undertaken extensive insight work across Wales. This has told us that there are differences in how much time and resource people can give to taking part in activities that matter to them. Some people face lots of challenges to accessing spaces and opportunities.

Recent research by Cardiff Metropolitan University, commissioned by Public Health Wales, revealed that 93% of respondents agreed it is important to take action to improve and protect their wellbeing. However over 1 in 5 people – did not know what actions they could take to support their wellbeing, and almost 2 in 5 said they were unable to find the time to do the things that matter to them. 29% of respondents said they are not able to find any time to do things that they enjoy.

Being able to take action to protect and improve mental wellbeing was much more difficult for; females, 18-29 years old, those who reported a disability, those who reported bad health, those from ethnic minority groups, and people living in circumstances with fewer resources and opportunities.

We want to commission artists to work with people in these priority groups to create inspiring tools or resources, or to tell their stories of what helps their mental wellbeing, to share with others and increase engagement in wellbeing supporting activities. 

The Brief

We are looking for artists across a range of artforms who can create high quality, digital content that inspires and motivates people in our priority groups to take action to support their mental wellbeing.

Your creative content should be co-produced with people from one or more of the following groups: 

  • Females.
  • 18-29 year olds.
  • Those reporting a disability, living in poor health or with long term health conditions, and can include those who care for them.
  • People living in circumstances with fewer resources and opportunities.
  • Those from ethnic minority groups

Your creative content should:

  • Inspire people to engage with Hapus.
  • Motivate people to act on improving wellbeing.

Artists will need to: 

  • Have experience of co-producing work with priority groups or have identified supporting partners with relevant experience.
  • Draw on inspiration from the evidence base and bring to life key themes and concepts through content that can be shared digitally.
  • Have a clear sense about how making time for what matters to you supports individual and community wellbeing. 

  • Produce professional and broadcast standard digital or film content, either themselves or through partnership with a film-maker or others with the necessary technical expertise.  Outputs will be digital content and could include for example, spoken word, creative writing, visual art, short film, song.

    We are keen to commission content from artists based across Wales. Artists should focus on developing and producing outputs in their chosen language. Public Health Wales will consider if/what translation is appropriate based on the creative output produced and will cover any costs as necessary.  We welcome proposals from artists from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds as well as D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists.

Audience

The content will be shared with the Welsh public through a range of Hapus programme activity.

Fees

Fees of up to £3,000 per commission are available to enable artists, arts organisations or partnerships of artists and filmmakers to plan and deliver digital content to a professional standard.  

We would like to commission 6 separate pieces of digital content through this call. We anticipate further opportunities being available in the future, as part of the Hapus programme.  

Eligibility

Applicants should: 

  • Be a creative professional (aged 18 or over), or an arts organisation or partnership, based in Wales.
  • Have a strong track record of working within the arts /arts and health/ cultural sectors. (We are unable to commission students or anyone in full-time training).
  • Be able to provide examples of having previously produced digital content to a professional and broadcast standard (this can be in collaboration with film or technical partners).

How to apply

Deadline for proposals is 09.09.2025

Please send a brief proposal, no more than 1,000 words, to Public Health Wales: HI-Programme.Support@wales.nhs.uk telling us about:  

  • Your creative practice and any experience particularly relevant to this commission.
  • Your creative idea, including how it will inspire others to take action that supports their wellbeing, how you plan to make your idea digitally available, and list any collaborators who may assist in the technical elements.
  • Please include an up-to-date CV with your proposal.

Please also send a short (max 2 minutes) video of yourself presenting your creative idea. This will help us to get a sense of your style and approach. We do not expect a professionally produced video for the proposal. The video will need to be sent using NHS Wales Secure File Sharing Portal, which enables sharing of files up to 20GB. The platform works best using Firefox.

You will need to email HI-Programme.Support@wales.nhs.uk to request a link which will allow you to upload your file to the secure portal.

Timeframe

Proposals will be reviewed by a panel, and we anticipate that awards will be made to successful artists by 22.09.2025 

Public Health Wales would like the finished digital content to be delivered by 30.01.2026

Assessing proposals

The following factors will guide our decisions when considering proposals:  

  • The strength of your creative idea, alignment with the aims of Hapus and its potential to appeal to the population of Wales.
  • The potential for your idea to inspire people within priority groups to take action that supports their wellbeing and that of others.
  • Your track record as a creative professional.
  • Evidence that you can co-produce work with our priority groups and  produce digital content to a professional standard.
  • A strong indication from your video clip that you can connect and inspire others to engage in activity that supports wellbeing.
  • The overall balance and range of content across the cohort of commissions – in terms of artforms, language of delivery, and artist diversity.

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 
HI-Programme.Support@wales.nhs.uk  
 

Closing date: 09/09/2025