ARTS organisations in Warwickshire are working to find creative ways to tackle the effects of the pandemic in care settings.
As part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Creative Health Alliance, Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has commissioned artists to find ways to address vulnerable residents’ wellbeing and reduce feelings of anxiety, loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.
Organisations involved were Armonico Consort, Arts Uplift, Escape Arts, Live and Local, Open Theatre, Singing for Health, Sundragon Pottery, and The Starfish Collaborative. The projects took many forms including, dance and movement, music, and mark making all with the intent to boost physical and mental health.
Sarah Riddell, operations manager for Warwick-based choir Armonico Consort, said: “Our commission was to bring the joy of music into people’s homes by creating an online library of singing workshops tailored towards older people who may have felt isolated during the pandemic. The project was a great success in helping these residents to benefit both their mental and physical health during this time, whilst also being able to feel a sense of belonging and connection.”
WCC spokeswoman for adult social care and health Margaret Bell added: “The eight arts projects combined reached a total of over 8,000 residents, and evaluation by Coventry University showed the benefits received by individuals from these projects included feelings of hope and positivity, creating new connections, and increasing both mental and physical health.
“Community engagement work has been part of Public Health’s wider outbreak management plan, to reduce both the incidence and impact of Covid-19. We’re using the learnings from these eight arts projects to inform future rollouts of art space initiatives within the county. Initiatives like this one continue to support our great engagement work by reaching as many people as possible across Warwickshire’s local communities in order to keep everyone safe, well and connected.”
Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o7SAvvMmYs to learn more about the project.
