Creativity & Wellbeing Week 2022

This week we’ve been celebrating Creativity and Wellbeing week, a national initiative that raises awareness of the positive impact that creativity can have on our wellbeing.

What began as a small celebration of arts and health in London in 2012 has developed into a national open festival with a mix of online and in person events. Held in partnership between London Arts in Health Forum and the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance, this year’s theme was ‘Get Creative Get Outdoors’, a theme perfectly at the heart of our Green UPLIFT programme.

We celebrated ‘Creativity and Wellbeing Week’, in true signature, Green UPLIFT style, by taking creativity outdoors to Barnsley’s beautiful community Carer's Garden with our Green UPLIFT, ‘Sculpture Garden’.

Creativity was in full bloom in the garden as we were joined by Sculptor Michael Disley who led us in a stone carving workshop. It proved a wonderful activity to focus the mind. For many, it was their first experience of stone carving, as such a new skill was acquired. There was a great sense of achievement on the production of some beautiful carvings. The creativity continued with Leilah 'Dragon Willow' who led the group in making bird feeders. All the while we shared picnics in the sunshine with the conversation and cuppas flowing in equal measure! The evening finished with live music and a drumming workshop which brought everyone together, tapping out rhythms to create one group beat. 

It was a fabulous day highlighting just how valuable creativity is for our mental health and the positive impact it has on our wellbeing, the ethos right at the core of Creative Recovery.

Amongst the nature of the Carer's Garden and in good company, moods were lifted as we danced to the beat of our own drum.