Programme

The final event of the programme was a reflection of the themes of 'Beyond Measure?' by Dr Daisy Fancourt, leading arts and health researcher based at UCL, in conversation with Darren Henley, Chief Executive Arts Council England.

Dr Fancourt's research focuses on the effects of social and community participation on health, with a particular interest in the effects of arts and cultural engagement. She chairs the International Arts Health Early Career Research Network, the UKRI MARCH Network, and is a consultant to the World Health Organisation on arts and health. She co-authored the 2019 WHO publication 'What is the evidence on the role of health and wellbeing in the WHO European Region?'

Dr Darren Henley OBE is chief executive of Arts Council England. His boardroom experience spans the arts, media, education, charity and government. He led Classic FM for fifteen years before joining the Arts Council in 2015. The author of two independent government reviews into music and cultural education, he received the British Academy President’s Medal for his contributions to music education, music research and the arts.

Experts in the health and arts sector explored the question, 'What does effective collaboration look like in arts and health work?'

Chaired by Rob Webster, Chief Executive of South West Yorkshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWYFT). He has worked in healthcare since 1990, working in national roles at the Department of Health on policy, transformation, and delivery, as well as acting as director for both the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit in the Cabinet Office. SWYFT has a track record of investment in arts and health work, an area which Rob is passionate about. He has been a trustee at Leeds Mencap and has chaired formal national networks including cancer, primary care, community services and learning disabilities.

With panellists, Mick Ward, associate of the Health Systems Innovations Lab, a Senior Associate of Nurture Development, and a Trustee of Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Julia Puebla Fortier doctoral candidate at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Lerato Dunn,  Arts Development Officer at Bristol City Council.

Experts in the health and arts sector came together in a panel discussion investigating the impact of - and the evidence for - art and culture making a difference to health outcomes.

This discussion was chaired by Victoria Hume, Director of the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance. She has a background as a composer, researcher and project manager specialising in culture, health and wellbeing, and was an arts manager for the NHS for 15 years.

Victoria was joined by panellists Norma Daykin professor of Arts as Wellbeing in the Centre for the Arts as Wellbeing at the University of Winchester,  Angela Awuah Founder and Chief Executive of Mental Health The Arts, David McQuillan, Arts & Health Programme Manager for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Mike and Helen, serial attenders, and latterly organisers, of cultural engagement programmes in the city of Leeds.

Unfortunately, due to technical issues we're not able to share a full recording of this event.

On Friday 6 November, we hosted a lunchtime conversation event with three of the commissioned artists.

Garry Barker, Niya B and Sarah Fraser discussed why they were interested in the Beyond Measure? commission, their approach and the artistic outputs they have created. Geraldine Montgomerie from Leeds Arts, Health and Wellbeing Network will chair the discussion.