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Participation in the arts..is not some kind of eccentric add-on -
it should be part of the mainstream in both health and social care.
Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health 2008
Programmes
Arts & Minds would like to see access to creative arts and culture available to as many people who experience mental ill health and their carers as possible. Our experience suggests there is a large unmet need for this kind of arts intervention. This makes it a viable area of development for a third sector organisation within health and social care. We also believe arts and culture have a central role to play within the mental health trust's expressed commitment to the 'Recovery Model' of care across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
To do this we need to develop four strands of our work:
Ward & Building
At Arts & Minds we have a proven track record of delivering arts projects to a wide range of people who access mental health services and staff in buildings and wards across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.These projects include physical enhancements of the care environment, participatory opportunities for staff and patients as well as public gallery exhibitions.
Anti-stigma & Training
Although not principally a campaigning charity we are constantly aware of unmet need and continuing discrimination and stigma attached to those of us who experience periods of mental ill health. We see training those professionals involved in decision making around the role of the arts within mental health and social care as a vital part of the changing landscape of health services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Community & Development
We aim to develop new and effective ways to reach people who may find an experience of the arts as beneficial to their recovery. In a county with very dispersed population centres this means taking the work to them. Arts on prescription, mobile studio space and the development of work with military veterans are all in the pipeline.
Research & Evidence
In financially pressured times it is ever more important that the arts and cultural sectors produce evaluation and where possible research that speaks to funders and partners from the statutory sectors. At Arts & Minds we are determined that the arts and culture can be an effective (including cost effective) tool to address mental health and social care issues.
There is obvious cross over between these areas, but we see this intertwining giving added strength that enables rich experience to inform further programme planning.