On 9th July we took an exciting step forward in our Creativity and Arts Programme, A three-year initiative that aims to build the national infrastructure needed to make creativity an everyday part of care.
We attended the Creative Dementia: Sharing Good Practice Conference in Bristol, where artists, arts organisations, Activity Providers, researchers and care professionals came together, united by a shared passion for improving the lives of people living with dementia through creativity.
The conference marked the launch of The Creative Dementia Practice Handbook: Arts for Health and Wellbeing, with inspiring presentations from several of the handbook’s authors and other leading voices in the field. Alongside learning from others, we were also delighted to contribute to the day by presenting on creativity and arts in care homes, while taking the opportunity to launch something very important to us, the baseline survey for our Creativity and Arts Programme.
The conference provided the perfect setting for this launch. Throughout the day, conversations centred on learning, collaboration and exploring how we can continue to strengthen the role of creativity and the arts within care and support, particularly for people living with dementia. It reinforced just how important it is that we continue to build the evidence, understanding and partnerships needed to make lasting change.
Our baseline survey is one of the most significant elements of the programme. If we are going to improve creativity and arts provision nationally, we first need to understand where we are today. We need to hear from the people who are already making creativity happen everyday, those facilitating activities, arts, engagement and meaningful experiences across care and support services.
Your experiences, insights and expertise will help us establish a clear picture of the current landscape. They will enable us to identify strengths, recognise gaps and shape the direction of our three year programme so that is delivers meaningful and lasting impact for the sector.
One of the strongest themes I took away from the conference was the importance of connection and collaboration. These are the foundations not only of high-quality creative practice but of high quality care itself. By working together, sharing knowledge and learning from one another, we can continue to drive positive change and create a lasting legacy.
Together, we can help create a future where creativity is recognised as fundamental to quality of life, where arts and culture are embedded in everyday care and where care homes are celebrated as vibrant cultural spaces at the heart of their communities.
Our journey has just begun and we we’d love you to be part of it.
By completing our Creativity and Arts Programme baseline survey, you’ll be helping us build a national picture of creativity and the arts in care and support. Your voice, your experiences and your insights will directly influence how this programme develops over the next three years, ensuring it responds to the real needs of the sector and helps create meaningful change.
Together, we can build a future where creativity is not seen as an added extra, but as an essential part of outstanding care.