New report about the city's creative health sector
Put simply, culture is in London’s DNA. And there is a tremendous opportunity to unlock its transformative power for our health! For many years art and culture have been making life better for Londoners.
Commissioned by GLA's Culture, Creative Industries and 24 Hour London Unit, a new report celebrates the pioneering people and projects changing the lives of Londoners through creativity across London. Through detailed research and interviews, Dr. Rebecca Gordon Nesbitt and London Arts and Health reveal the long and rich history of creative health in London.
Crucially it is a call to action – it points the way to the future – the practical next steps. Champions and allies in arts, public health, community and faith spaces are working together to support the reduction in health inequalities and enable equity of access to culture for all Londoners. Join the conversation, take a deep dive into the relationship between arts and health in London!
Recap: Watch the Report Launch Event
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The online launch event featured Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries Justine Simons, Professor Kevin Fenton statutory health advisor to the Mayor, Vicky Hobart GLA Group Director of Public Health, as well as a range of sector organisations and practitioners.
My Medicine is...
At the launch event, artist Stephen Rudder invited attendees to complete the phrase 'My medicine is...'. The below is a poem composed of all the contributions in the chat.
Cooking
Singing as part of an ensemble
Singing!
Connecting with nature
Facilitating Creative health for young people
Playing tennis
...being on my allotment plot!
My medicine is the horizon...
Listening to the wind in the trees...
Photography!
Painting & swimming
Sewing
Reading!
My medicine is growing flowers
Singing and running
Connecting and creating
Singing
Dancing in the kitchen
Music! Being with people. Swimming in cold water.
My medicine is poetry
Dancing, playing, listening to the music and sounds of the world!
Listening to music
Listening to the birds
Dancing!
My medicine is slapping paint around with abandon!
Singing
SINGING
Painting
Reading a good novel
Companionship
Exercise
Dance!
My medicine Is LoVe
Cooking
Walking on the beach with my dog
Hugging a tree :-)
Cuddles with my son
Listening to music
Exercise
My medicine is writing poetry
Mine is Max Richters Four Seasons on LOUD
Cooking
Drumming
Self care through a spa day
My medicine is singing and dancing
Listening to ABBA with my mum who has dementia but can still sing all the words!
Organising and experiencing communal and live activities
My medicine is companionship
Blog header image credit: How's the Weather in Your Head, by Becky Warnock and the OOST Collective