The Healing Arts programme at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust has been awarded over £26,000 from the Arts Council to develop and deliver a creative arts project for patients on the older adults and children’s wards, staff and families at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
The project will work in partnership with leading local arts and culture organisations Prism Arts and Tullie House Museum. It will involve puppetry, written word, music and dance projects to ensure that it offers something for everyone.
Patients are the main focus of the project but it will include staff and families too to encourage the use of the arts in patient recovery. The activities will be designed to get patients out of bed and moving, which is proven to aid recovery, and to alleviate boredom which can also affect a patient’s recovery.
A total of £26,091 has been awarded for the project and it will run in three phases, the first being ‘What’s in the Doctor’s bag?’ a puppetry based activity where a bag will be filled with curious artefacts from the Tullie House Museum collection. A puppeteer and writer will invite people to pull out objects from the bag and see what responses and stories emerge.
The second phase will feature workshops on puppetry, written word, music and dance with patients(mainly older adults and children & young people).The third and final stage will involve performances.
Susie Tate, Healing Arts Coordinator at NCUH, said: “This really is fantastic news for the hospital; this funding will make a real difference to patients’ lives. The Healing Arts project has been a great success with patients, staff and visitors, and the impact of art and entertainment on patient recovery cannot be underestimated.
“I’m very excited to get started on the project and want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who contributed to the funding application.”
Prism Arts Chief Executive Officer Catherine Coulthard added: “Prism Arts is delighted that Healing Arts has been successful in this application for Arts Council funding.
“The Healing Arts Steering Group (University of Cumbria, Tullie House Museum, Hospital Trust staff, Prism Arts), led by the project coordinator, Susie Tate, have worked very hard to secure the funding.
“It is excellent news for health and arts in Carlisle and it will result in inspirational creative work for people on the wards and in the community; we are delighted to be part of this innovative new project.”
