Breaking Out of the Temples of Culture: Exploring Arts, Health and Wellbeing Initiatives in the Community
Institute for Public Policy & Professional Practice (I4P)
This symposium will take as its focus community-based cultural activities that seek to foster greater cultural engagement with the arts, facilitate more widespread active participation in culture, generate social capital and improve health and wellbeing in a variety of ways. To stimulate the discussions, we have invited a number of speakers – artists and representatives of cultural organisations – whose work, in different ways, is characterized by, or interested in, the interplay between cultural value and social capital. These activities include, but are not limited to, socially engaged art to local cultural festivals and the promotion, and exhibition of, arts and culture more broadly within local communities.
A fundamental aim of the symposium will be to create ample space for discussion, knowledge exchange and possible future collaboration. It will be of interest to all individuals and organisations working in the fields of arts, health and wellbeing.
Keynote Speakers:
- Nick Ewbank
Co-author of the recent AHRC-funded report Cultural Value and Social Capital: Investigating Social Capital, Health and Wellbeing Impacts in Three Coastal Towns Undergoing Culture-Led Regeneration (2014). - John E McGrath
Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales
Confirmed Speakers:
- Mark Anderson and Matthew Archer (East Lindsey Council/Skegness Festival)
- Beth Cuenco (Director, Wise Words Festival, Canterbury)
- Lisa Dowler (Edge Hill University)
- Carl Dutton (Psychotherapist, Alder Hey NHS/Haven Project)
- Victoria Foster (Edge Hill University)
- Paddy Hoey (Edge Hill University)
- Alice Holland (Wakefield Council)
- Vicky Karkou (Edge Hill University)
- Sally Ann Lycett (Director of External Relations, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea)
- Cheryl Speak (You’re Amazing CIC)
- Irene Dudley-Swarbrick (You’re Amazing/Edge Hill University)
- Victor Merriman (Edge Hill University)
- Creativity Works (Community-based Arts and Wellbeing Organisation, Radstock, Somerset)
Venue: Registration takes place in the Wilson Centre foyer, (building 7 on the Map) at Edge Hill University (Directions).
Programme:
Download the conference programme here. (schedule is subject to change)