creativeEmerge
Training in Creative Health Practice
A new training programme
Starting in September 2024, this 9-month free training programme was commissioned as part of the wider 2024-26 Culture West intiative from the West of England Combined Authority supported by Arts Council England. The objective was to support the professional development of a group of 15 artists from the area who were looking to work in cultural social prescribing and other arts and health programming. The Training in Creative Health Practice programme called creativeEmerge developed a new cohort of commission-ready practitioners who could go onto partner with experienced artists and local organisations to deliver creative health activities in the area.
Who was it for?
We welcomed applications from early career socially-engaged artists, especially those who may be underrepresented in the creative health field. This included those from rural, disadvantaged, or global majority communities; young people, 18-30; people with lived experience such as mental health concerns or disabilities; and those from local grassroots organisations.
The programme focused on:
- Learning the key principles and practices of creative health programmes
- Developing a capacity to deliver in social prescribing and other health and wellbeing programmes
with a variety of community and statutory partners - Participating in a supportive and sustainable practitioner peer network for continuous learning
and collaborative working - Learning how to reflect on your practice with colleagues, partners, and mentors
Programme details
The programme consisted of 8 modules, delivered in a 3-hr workshop followed by a 2-hr community of practice meeting each month with the cohort. Participants engaged in their own arts and health practice or participated in a shadowing placement. They also received three 1-hour professional mentoring sessions, and participated in personal and collaborative assessments.
This training was delivered primarily online to support access across the region, with two in-person sessions held in Bristol.
Topics covered
- The aims and practices of creative health delivery, including design principles, using co-production and partnership methods, and evaluation tools
- Facilitation skills, including group management, supporting positive and appropriate social engagement, and managing challenging/emergent situations
- Safe and professional practice, including risk assessments and safety protocols, managing health and mental health needs, working with support, managing safeguarding, ethical behaviour
- Emotional safety for facilitators, including understanding the mechanisms of emotion work, managing interpersonal boundaries, self-care, and support.
- Incorporating public health thinking, including social determinants of health/lifestyle/context issues; evidence-based practice; health and social care thinking, expectations and outcomes.
- Understanding the goals and structures of creative and green social prescribing, including how to develop appropriate programmes, and build delivery relationships
- Becoming commission-ready: understanding the requirements of commissioners, developing and negotiating commission proposals, and creating appropriate business practices and infrastructure
| Course Summary |
|---|
| 1 - Introduction to Creative Health |
| 2 - Creativity and Health |
| 3 - Creative Health Programme Design |
| 4 - Facilitation skills in Creative Health |
| 5 - Person Centred Creative Health Approaches |
| 6 - Safe & Professional Practice |
| 7 - Partnership Working for Creative Health |
| 8 - Your Creative Health Practice in the World |
| Review |
| Peer Support & Self-organised CoP |
What trainees said:
“I was lacking a lot of confidence in my worth within collaborations before
the training, and thanks to the programme I definitely feel more confident in appreciating my worth and understanding what steps I might
take to grow my experience.”
“I enjoyed the mix of presentations from the Creative Shift team, as well as guest speakers - what a huge amount experience, wealth of knowledge and connections offered to us.”
“A space to air confusions, uncertainties, wins and learnings, and gain from
alternative perspectives was wonderful.”
“My favourite parts of the programme have been when there has been a sense of spaciousness to the sessions, and room made for reflection, discussion and deeper connection.”
The co-producers
Julia Puebla Fortier
Julia led the Creative Health Learning Alliance for Arts & Health South West, which offered collaborative learning workshops for creative health practitioners over 2 years. Her doctoral research focused on the experiences, training and support needs of artists working with people with challenging health and psychosocial conditions. She has expertise in the emotional dimensions of creative health work, participatory evaluation, and co-production approaches.
Philippa Forsey
Philippa is experienced in co-creating innovative arts and health solutions within local and regional health and wellbeing agendas. Working with a variety of stakeholders has resulted in successful outcomes for individuals, peer-led groups and community organisations including the NHS, health and social care services, children’s services, education and cultural organisations. As the Creative Wellbeing Service lead for Creativity Works for 20+ years, she managed programmes, events, training, mentoring freelance artists, consultations and fundraising.
Julie Matthews
Julie is cofounder & Director of creativeShift CIC a leading Creative Health organisation in the South West delivering programmes and projects in collaboration with Health, Social Prescribing, Community and Cultural partners. Informed by a background in spatial design and socially engaged arts practice delivery and management, Julie has been at the forefront of Creative Health development and continues to shape the sector through training, mentoring, academic research and consultation. Essentially Julie is a Creative Health Practitioner who delights in the magic of creativity to transform people’s lives for the better.
creativeEmerge was funded by:
