I’ve just returned from beautiful Lithuania, where I was invited to talk to Ministers from the Departments of Health, Culture, Social Care and Employment, Education and Science, alongside the Office of the President and at the invitation of the British Council (phew - what a list). The event was planned and facilitated by the team at Socialiniai Meno Projectai (Social Art Projects) who are pulling together a broad range of activity to affect health and wellbeing through participatory practice. It’s been great to be part of this work since the 2009, when the same team convened the international conference on arts and health, Mano Teritorija. Now with British Council support and their recent project evaluation, Menas Žmogaus Gerovei published, they are entering a new phase of activity to embed their emerging work across government departments, whilst delivering and evaluating projects across a range of settings. More news on that soon. Just my big thanks to Roma Survilienė, Ieva Petkutė and Simona Karpavičiūtė for making me so welcome and being so inspiring.
For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to visit Lithuania, I can strongly recommend it. As Vilnius was bathed in the same sun we felt in the UK, it felt a very vibrant and golden city and I was very sad to leave.
Towards a Recovery Manifesto
I am beginning to work with people in recovery from addiction, and building on our Manifesto for Arts, Health and Wellbeing we are going to be creating a recovery manifesto - think, bill of human rights, think differently. Although this is starting nice and slowly with partners in Turkey and Italy, I expect to work with people across the UK and a number of European countries. Interested? Get in touch. More, much more, very soon. But be warned, this, our first foray into putting some of our thoughts into words (sweet words) is both abstract and eye-wateringly migraine inducing!
So do not watch this if you are affected by flashing lights.
I am beginning to work with people in recovery from addiction, and building on our Manifesto for Arts, Health and Wellbeing we are going to be creating a recovery manifesto - think, bill of human rights, think differently. Although this is starting nice and slowly with partners in Turkey and Italy, I expect to work with people across the UK and a number of European countries. Interested? Get in touch. More, much more, very soon. But be warned, this, our first foray into putting some of our thoughts into words (sweet words) is both abstract and eye-wateringly migraine inducing!
So do not watch this if you are affected by flashing lights.
News coming in from Holly Marland at the Royal College of Music - there’s a new blog that you can catch up with all about Music and Health. Click on the sad rabbit for details.
BBC Children in Need - Main Grants Programme
BBC Children in Need has announced that the next applications deadline for its Main Grants Programme is the 15th September 2013. Funding is available to organisations that work with young people who are suffering from:
· Illness
· Distress
· Abuse or neglect
· Are disabled
· Have behavioural or psychological difficulties
· Or are living in poverty or situations of deprivation.
The Main grants programme is open to applications for over £10,000.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008dk4b/features/grants
...and finally! Good grief...does this constitute abuse? C.P.
...and finally! Good grief...does this constitute abuse? C.P.
