EVENT: Art and Wellbeing Forum

Art and Wellbeing Forum

The role of art and culture in creating wellbeing in Western Australian communities.

Thursday 9th December, 3:00pm – 6:00pm

University of Western Australia Geography Lecture Theatre 1 See map at http://maps.uwa.edu.au/crawley/display/6

Free parking available across campus in designated Yellow parking bays

Forum Partners:

Department of Culture and the Arts; Healthway; Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Western Australia; Community and Cultural Development Board (CCDB) of the Australia Council

This forum will highlight the link between art and wellbeing, particularly in relation to mental and physical health outcomes. It will bring together speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds who will explore how individual and community wellbeing can be enhanced through cultural development and arts practice. This forum is relevant to all decision-makers concerned with health and wellbeing, integrated approaches to policy, planning and service delivery, ecologically sustainable development, natural resources management, rural revitalisation, community strengthening, active citizenship, diversity and inclusion.

KEY NOTE SPEAKERS

Deborah Mills is co-author of Art and Wellbeing, an Australia Council publication which assembles ideas and case study material demonstrating the connection between community cultural development and government wellbeing initiatives. Deborah has a diverse background in community and cultural development and a strong record in public sector social and cultural policy development in commonwealth, state and local government spheres.

Susan Ball is a Senior Project Officer with VicHealth who is involved in working with organisations, communities and individuals to make health a central component of their daily lives. Its activity is geared towards promoting health and preventing ill-health. The Arts for Health program is an important platform for the Mental Health promotion activity which was developed in recognition of the social and economic costs associated with the rising incidence of mental health problems. In 2003 VicHealth published Creative Connections- Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing through Community Arts Participation as part of its Mental Health Promotion Plan 1999-2002. This report documents the findings from the evaluation of the Community Arts Participation (CAP) Scheme and explores the links between community based arts practice and the promotion of mental health .

LOCAL CASE STUDIES focusing on Western Australian organisations, who are redefining art and wellbeing practices within their communities.

SALT Writers (Albany Prison)

Presenters: Nathan Bennison & Lockie McDonald To present the outcomes of the SALT writers project with inmates of the Albany Prison, and the individual journey for now released writer Nathan Bennison. This presentation will investigate the role of arts within a prison environment, its impact on the wellbeing of the prison community, and the options it can provide for prisoners to find a new way of life. Healthway - Creating better health through the arts 12 years of health promotion sponsorship of the Arts in Western Australia.

The presentation, involving an overview of evaluations and case studies of projects sponsored through Healthway’s Arts Sponsorship Program, will be presented by Dr Jo Clarkson, Director Health Promotion and Mr Lindsay Lovering, Arts Program Manager addressing the following areas: Arts Sponsorship Program - General Overview, Health profile of an Arts audience, Evaluation – What have we learnt so far, Health benefits of structural policies introduced through sponsorship, Evaluation of Healthway’s major Arts organizations, Brief selection of projects sponsored through the Arts Sponsorship Program, Health in Arts – Using the Arts as a medium for health education.

Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts WA (DADAA WA)

David Doyle - overview DADAA Arts Development program- key initiatives and approaches, focused on the role of a multi - sectorial approach to service development; Simone Bateman - Ageing & Disability programs, explores the role of the Disability and Training sectors in providing a sustainable solution to community access, skills development and cultural participation for people who are ageing with a disability - backed by an excellent documentary video that explores participants cultural journey;

Pauline Miles, Freight Gallery member and consumer advocate, provides a highly visual presentation that charts the impact of the Freight project on the 37 project members all of whom are finding their way to professional development as visual artists, employment and training through this unique, consumer driven initiative. Pauline will focus down on the role of the Arts as a tool for health and well being through access to meaningful day activity, social participation and employment.

FACILITATED DISCUSSION SESSION

This discussion will focus on the different stages of integration of art and wellbeing within an agency, and the approaches that agency can take to further integrate this work and facilitate greater outcomes for the agency and the communities they work with.

For registration please contact the Institute of Advanced Studies on:

Tel: +61 (08) 6488 1340; Fax +61 (08) 6488 1711 Email: [email protected]

This forum is free. Full program available from www.ias.uwa.edu.au