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Healing Arts

Healing Arts is a project funded by the Arts Council England to introduce participatory arts to wards at Cumberland Infirmary. It is a partnership project working with Prism Arts, Susie Tate Associates, Tullie House Museum and Gallery, University of Cumbria, North Cumbria University Hospital trust.

Healing Arts has worked to produce a programme of art, dance, music, puppetry and poetry workshops that takes place on wards and corridors of the Cumberland Infirmary.

The project aims to help lift mood, alleviate boredom, and give a sense of worth through contributing to the development of new creative work. It also aims to enhance the hospital environment; provide moments of reflection, distraction from illness, and offer a time ‘to be’.

The project is working closely with the occupational therapy and physiotherapy teams to share practice and help in the national development of arts in health taking place in acute settings, and in the development of the Healing Arts programme.

 

Trust me I’m an Artist

Trust Me I’m an Artist was a cross arts project involving puppetry, music, written word and dance, for older adults in the Cumberland Infirmary on ward Willow A.

Artists worked with patients to create a range of fanciful, exciting and often very humorous stories.  The artists guided the work, but the patient’s ideas lead the way so allow the stories take a life of their own!

The stories where used to create a performance which took place in July 19.

“In a land that has banned stories how will the Major, a collector of stories, get his stories through customs? You will meet The Major, The Customs Officer and a whole array of characters from fine ladies, talking horses and famous composers to stroppy fairies, ne’er-do-wells, and thingies that roam the woods”

There was an open rehearsal in the Cumberland Infirmary Atrium, as well as performances on wards, at Tullie House and at the Unity Festival in Carlisle city centre.

Project Partners: Tullie House Museum and Gallery, University of Cumbria, North Cumbria University Hospitals’ Trust, Susie Tate Projects

Artform: Visual Art, Theatre

Funders: Arts Council England, NCUH

Artists: Ali McCaw

Participants: Older Adults ward at Cumberland Infirmary

Dates: Jan – Sept 19