Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2023
Thrive LDN’s activities for Creativity and Wellbeing Week, 15 – 21 May, 2023
Thrive LDN’s activities for Creativity and Wellbeing Week, 15 – 21 May, 2023
Wellbeing 
Awareness Week
Updated: 15/05/2023
Creativity and Wellbeing Week (CAWW) is an annual event hosted by London Arts in Health Forum, Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance and Arts & Health South West. Taking place this year between 15 – 21 May.
Explore the CAWW website for full information about the week.
There is a wide recognition of the value of participation in arts and culture in supporting wellbeing. Since Thrive LDN’s inception creativity has been at the heart of many of our activities and we know how art-based engagement can help support and raise awareness of the challenges and barriers Londoners face in their mental health and wellbeing.
Messages of Hope collaboration
Fancy a daily pick-me-up from fellow Londoners?
View this post on Instagram
Launching during Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2023, an exciting new collaboration between Thrive LDN and Messages of Hope will see anonymous messages from Londoners shared daily from Instagram account @ThroughTogether to spread hope and break the stigma around mental health.
Hundreds of anonymous messages have been submitted from Londoners, many of whom have experienced their own difficulties. Messages contain personal positive affirmations alongside messages of encouragement, togetherness, or wellbeing wisdoms. The collaboration will bring the messages to life by sharing them publicly, aiming to offer hope and encouragement to those who may need it or offer ideas for supporting others who may be having a difficult time.
To find out more follow @ThroughTogether on Instagram and receive a daily pick-me-up in doing so.
This collaboration forms part of the wider Messages of Hope campaign, created by founder Beth Evans in 2020 as a result of her own personal mental health journey. For the launch of this new collaboration, Beth has written a blog about her experiences and why she started the campaign.
Mindfulness colouring sheets
To mark CAWW 2023, Beth has created a selection of mindfulness colouring worksheets. You can download these for free to print off and use at home.
Download the colouring sheets [PDF – 21MB]
Help promote @ThroughTogether
We would be grateful for support from London partners to help activate and amplify this new collaboration.
Download a communications toolkit for partners which outlines how you can help support and use the content from @ThroughTogether in your own communications.
Why is creativity important for wellbeing?
In 2014, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) was formed to look at improving and increasing awareness of the benefits that the arts can bring to health and wellbeing. In July 2017, the research the Inquiry report, Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing – Second Edition, was published presenting findings from two years of research and evidence gathering. This report has helped to shine a light and promote action around the benefits of taking a creative health approach to addressing the mental and physical health needs of our population. Arts and culture can help:
- Keep us well, aid our recovery and support longer lives better lived
- Meet major challenges facing health and social care: ageing, long term conditions, loneliness and mental health
- Save money in the health service and social care
Thrive LDN, commissioned The opportunities for arts and cultural activities to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Londoners report in January 2018, to present key findings and recommendations for Thrive LDN and the Mayor’s Culture team to consider.
Since the launch of this report, we have put art and cultural activity in the heart of the programmes we deliver for Londoners. In particular in the delivery of citywide activity, such as World Mental Health Day youth-led festivals, where we showcase young local talent.
Over the years we have seen the impact that creativity has on Londoners mental health and wellbeing. We have supported a number of grassroots organisations through our Right to Thrive programme to support thriving communities and lives. See an example of our work with Herts Inclusive Theatre, who support young people with complex needs, read Liam’s story. See also, some of our London community partners who shared their experiences through our Getting Through this together campaign including Tramshed, Paradox Centre, Herts Inclusive Theatre.
Thrive LDN is supporting the GLA Culture team who is working with Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Chisenhale Gallery and artist the vacuum cleaner to create an action plan to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The 2.8 Million Minds manifesto puts young people at the heart of their mental health, and asks how arts and culture can create change in how mental health care is designed, delivered and funded.
Other ways to get involved
Creativity and Wellbeing Week is an amazing moment to shine a spotlight on everything happening across the Creative Health sector, to join forces, collaborate, and share all the amazing work that you have been doing to support your communities.
Anyone can be involved in this awareness week, all you need to do is upload an event to the Creativity and Wellbeing Week website. London Arts in Health Forum (LAHF) have also recorded a presentation about the festival.
LAHF have produced a number of festival assets that you can download and amend for your own programmes of work, events or to promote the festival in your area. This includes a poster, social media assets, press release, button, logos and more!