Trust to launch Creative Minds
To show its commitment to creative approaches in health services South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is launching Creative Minds; a programme of work that focuses on creativity to achieve high quality outcomes for service users.
Creativity in the Trust includes sport, the arts, leisure activities, life story work and gardening; anything that uses a creative approach to achieve better health outcomes.
The use of creative activities in healthcare has been shown to increase self-esteem, provide a sense of purpose, develop social skills, help community integration and improve quality of life. It also helps highlight the importance of engagement and involvement, and barriers between staff and service users can be broken down.
The Trust recognises these benefits and its Creative Minds strategy underlines its commitment to having a creative approach to service delivery.
The Trust will be launching Creative Minds at the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield on Tuesday 1 November 2011 and is delighted to invite the public, members, staff, people who use our services, their carers and partner organisations to the launch.
Phil Walters, the Trust’s head of equality and inclusion, said, "When people hear the phrase ‘creativity’ they immediately think of the arts. Whilst the arts are a key and vital example of creativity in healthcare, there are many more examples. Creativity in our Trust defines anything that uses a creative approach to achieve better health outcomes.
Examples of creative activity taking place in the Trust include digital photography, dance therapy, life story work and bibliotherapy. We very much hope people will be able to join us and find out more about how creativity can achieve high quality outcomes for people who use our services."
The day will include a description of what is meant by creativity and its importance to people who use services. Local theatre group Yew Tree Company, who has supported work of the Trust in the past, will be on hand to demonstrate the power of performance as will a the Hoot dance troupe who recently appeared at South African Festival.
The day will also be an opportunity to hold the Trust’s annual members’ meeting and to hear from the Trust’s chief executive Steven Michael and representatives from our creative partner organisations.
There will also be a chance to take part in a number of creative workshops from sculpture to music to art!
Following the main launch event in Wakefield a number of smaller events will also be held in Barnsley, Calderdale and Kirklees.
• Thursday 3rd November, Victoria Theatre, Halifax, 1pm – 4pm • Monday 7th November, Pathways, Mirfield, 10.30am – 2.30pm • Wednesday 9th November, Assembly Rooms, Barnsley, 12.30pm – 5pm
For more information or to book a place, please call 01924 328656 or email inclusion@swyt.nhs.uk.
Find out more at www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/creativeminds