The conference was an opportunity for everyone involved in neurological services in Cornwall, whether using them or providing them, to consider working priorities for the future, based on the results of an audit and people’s personal experiences.

Artist Lollie Brewer worked with participants to create two large maps. The first was named ‘The Un-United States of Care’ and helped people to express how they currently experienced the neurological services available to them. The second was called ‘Can-Do Island’ and encouraged people to think about how they would like their services to be.

The maps were then used to help the whole conference focus on their main priorities.

They were then photographed and included in the ‘Taking Stock Moving Forward’ report, which is available to read on the Neurological Commissioning Support website here.

Image: Close up of ‘Can-Do Island’

Janet McEwan was engaged as Lead Artist for an Arts in Primary Care Project, based at the Stennack Surgery, St Ives, where over a period of around 18 months, she developed a number of projects, using a range of approaches to reach across the surgery community.

ARTLAB was a weekly art session for referred patients managing a range of conditions, which evolved over the project into a bi-weekly patient led textile group.

With contributions from all members of this group, Janet McEwan constructed Reasons To Be Cheerful; a 2mtr x 3mtr textile work inspired by the music of late singer songwriter Ian Dury and the work of contemporary artist Tracy Emin,

This time last year we were not entirely certain about our future – many decisions about funding were being put on hold by organisations that were not sure about their budgets and this had an impact on our plans.  We responded to this situation positively and took  a number of measures to ensure that we would still be able to deliver, and enable others to deliver, arts and health practice across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

This proactive approach has been extremely fruitful; not only have we continued to deliver a wide range of arts and health activity across this year, we are now facing a period of greater stability, with our core funding confirmed to the end of March 2014. This means that we are able to progress our work with some confidence, developing our projects and activities and drawing in funding from other sources to benefit the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with us , particularly our growing band of volunteers, and an especial thank you must go to my staff – Nicky and Jenny, who left us earlier in the year to explore new pastures and who contributed so much to the development of AFHC, and of course, Gill and Sarah.

Sadly (for us) Gill is leaving us at the end of this month to pursue her dancing career, although she will not be escaping entirely as she is continuing to manage the Siblings project for us on a freelance basis. We wish her all the very best in her new ventures. Sarah will be taking up Gill’s hours and will be working Tuesdays through to Thursdays from January.

Finally we look forward to working with you in 2012 and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Best wishes,

Jayne Howard, Director

Please note: the office will be closed between 21st December and 4th January.

From the 19th November 2011 we will be running two programmes for the brothers and sisters of disabled children in the northeast and middle of Cornwall. The playful, creative activities are open to all brothers and sisters (aged between 7 and 12 years) of disabled children and we look forward to welcoming new children.

We are also delighted to continue working with Tori and Dee and warmly welcome two new artists, Karen Abadie and Kate Green.

Please click on the programmes below to see what’s on near you.

Winter Programme East Cornwall

Winter Programme Mid Cornwall

To find out more about the Siblings of Disabled Children project please click here.

If you have any questions or to book please call us on 01326 377772 or email gill@artsforhealthcornwall.org.uk

Raising Spirits is a project being led by SOS Malta in partnership with Mater Dei Hospital, Malta Cancer Foundation, Voices Foundation and the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. The overall objective of Raising Spirits is to promote and develop an enabling and facilitating environment for creative and artistic volunteering within healthcare settings, aimed at improving patient recover and community wellbeing. National stakeholders are being brought together to explore and develop the necessary infrastructure to support regular creative and artistic volunteering activities at Mater Dei Hospital and community health settings.

The conference, which was chaired by actor and TV presenter Clare Agius, included presentations on drama and dyslexia by actor Matthew Scurfield and on Music in Hospitals UK, by their Chief Executive, Diana Greenman.

The conference was followed by three days training for the board of volunteers who plan to put on some performances in the hospital before the end of the year and develop a three-year action plan to take forward arts and health work across Malta.  Jayne delivered a hands-on workshop with this board focused on developing the action plan. She commented that “the position of this board of volunteers is very similar to that of the development group that led to the establishment of Arts for Health Cornwall. There is a lot of enthusiasm, experience and skills around the board table for this project and I will be watching their progress with great interest.  Malta was a fascinating place to visit and they have a long tradition of volunteering to build on, together with a wealth of cultural activity – including many local festivals, a strong musical heritage and a willingness to embrace experiences from elsewhere. We would love to host a visit from any of the volunteers who want to see what arts and health work goes on here in Cornwall”.

Arts for Health Cornwall’s Arts for Stroke Rehabilitation Project on the Lanyon Ward of Redruth and Camborne Community Hospital concluded earlier in the year. In their article Moments of Breath and Hand Jive Jayne and Caroline reflect upon the evolution and impact of their practice.

“We called this article ‘Moments of breath and hand jive’ because it brought to mind something of the scope of our work. Sometimes the dance was to sit and breathe with a patient and breathe was the sound score. Sometimes the dance was a hand jive, the music was Elvis and the group was ‘rocking’. Dance has a seemingly infinite reach and it all begins at home in our bodies.” (Jayne and Caroline).

The article, first published in the Autumn 2011 edition of Animated magazine, is reproduced by permission of Foundation for Community Dance. All Rights Reserved. See www.communitydance.org.uk/animated for more information. The article is also reproduced with the permission of Caroline Schanche and Jayne Devlin.

We are pleased to be able share our 2010 – 2011 Annual Report with you. The report includes articles on our recent projects and events as well as information on how we use our funding, a financial summary, and also our Chair’s Statement and Directors Report.

2010-2011 Annual Report

Two Arts for Health Cornwall artists and a team of enthusiastic volunteers worked together to provide two fun and engaging art activities. Michelle O’Conner led the ‘Respectful Garden of Delights’ where families worked together to create their own secret garden of butterflies and flowers. At Tony Johns’ marquee people were invited to make beautful pinwheels or have a go at screen printing their own designs onto paper.

In the evening festival goers were invited to gather in the lower part of the gardens for a delicious shared meal. Arts for Health Cornwall invited Spirit Level Theatre to perform their Playback theatre which gave the audience the opportunity to voice their feelings on respect.

Other local groups and charities were also there with an array of stands for the festival goers to explore. The day was an all round success which brought together the local community of all ages in a day of celebration, creativity and fun.

The need was identified by the Children in Care health team for young people to have access to their health information as they make the move to independent living.  The health passport is designed to give them relevant information, stored in one place, and to make registering with a GP or other health professional easier.

We spoke to young people who had been in the care system about what they would want from such a document.  Calling the document a ‘Health Passport’ came from one of the young people involved in the consultation, and this title helped us to develop the style and tone of the document. The people we talked to were very clear that they wanted something which had some weight and importance and spoke to them as adults.

The passport is designed to be completed at a ‘health exit’ interview between the young person leaving care and one of their health team and the information included in it is determined by what the young person wants. It includes space for their NHS number, birth information and several pages which can be completed with details of medical history, regular medication, contact details for GP, dentist and other health professionals, together with a pocket at the back for their immunisation record and any other loose-leaf information, all securely held with an elastic closure.

The passport is available in four colours and has been very well-received to date – everyone who has come into the office and seen them wants one for themselves!  We will be evaluating its use over the next two years.

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