Senin, 29 September 2014

What will survive of us...


I went along to the opening of the Asia Triennial on Friday night curated by friend and colleague, Alnoor Mitha. The event took place in the bowels of the Imperial War Museum North and alongside the relics of war and violence, the triennial with its subtitle of ‘conflict and compassion’ was entirely suited to such an forbidding space. 

Not being the most eloquent art critics, and having not yet seen the galleries all around Greater Manchester where much of the work is happening, I can only report being inspired by the great effort led by Alnoor and his always friendly team. Brilliant people.

My one disappointment is that the real gem of the show didn’t materialise. That was the physical presence of Iranian born, Afghan street artist and friend of Arts for Health, Shamsia Hassani who I had the pleasure of introducing to Alnoor last year. Her projected images in the space and large welcoming banners outside the museum only served to frustrate and amplify her absence.

Why was Shamsia not with us? Bureaucracy and maybe just a touch of hysteria on the part of the British High Commission, who oh so helpfully insist that for local Afghani's to travel to the UK they need to first travel to either Pakistan or India to obtain a visa! For someone teaching full time and being an artist of significance in Afghanistan, you’d think that some effort might have been made to make this happen more easily for her. An opportunity for British diplomacy to shine - lost! Shamsia, you were missed!



Separate to the curated works and sat amongst the weapons of war, was a dark and truly grizzly object - deformed steel girders from the ‘twin towers’ - like some exhausted brutalist giant in the corner. Compelling, and for my part, something that called out for me to touch it. I didn’t, because all the signs said not to. Would it have been disrespectful?  

Like some medieval tomb of long-dead lovers, rubbed smooth by a thousand patinating hands, to me, this monolith demands some physical connection. More than that, it uncomfortably conjoins the triennial with the bleakest aspects of humanity. What, I wondered, would sound-artists make of this, the most potent of objects? I imagined it ‘amped up’ with pickups and played to a silent auditorium, its various struts and disjointed spurs of metal caressed, stroked and plucked, raising up some deeper melancholic symphony. 



ASDA Foundation Community Grants Programme
Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available for not-for-profit organisations to develop stronger better connected communities across the UK by targeting the key social issues that are affecting local communities. Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations to develop stronger better connected communities across the UK by targeting the key social issues that are affecting local communities. Funding is available for initiatives that will support local communities and meet the following criteria:

  • Will make a significant difference benefitting the wide local community.
  • Addresses the needs of the local community.
  • Tackles the underlying issues in the local community.
  • Has used evidence of community needs and aspirations to develop an existing model.
  • Will transform the community, improving the lives of those who live there.

Read more at: http://www.asdafoundation.org/grant


Sabtu, 20 September 2014

...the void

.

Scotland - what can I add to this debate? Nothing - other than 84.5% of elegible voters cast their votes! Amazing. Isn’t there something of a philosophical and moral debate to be had about why so many people don’t vote in general elections? Disconnected - lost - uninspired? Public art and Amy Winehouse - what can I add to the debate? Nothing - other than disconnected and uninspired?


Make of it what you will...

Wellbeing analysis makes stronger case for the arts
Following a year-long inquiry, a cross-party group of MPs has concluded that investment in arts and culture, mindfulness in health and education, a focus on stable jobs rather than growth and more green spaces in our cities are all key to improving wellbeing. Wellbeing in four policy areas, a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics, concludes that the DCMS and the arts sector more generally should use ‘wellbeing analysis’ to make a better case for public spending on the arts and culture, as this approach is better able to “value nonmarket goods, and goods which we value for reasons that have little to do with the market”. Read more at: http://b.3cdn.net/nefoundation/ccdf9782b6d8700f7c_lcm6i2ed7.pdf 

Funding for Projects that Address Urban & Rural Deprivation 
The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation has announced that capital and revenue funding is available to support the work of local and national charities and not-for-profit organisations that address rural and urban deprivation. Within these two main headings, the Trust is interested in helping established projects which work in the fields of:
  • Community Support
  • Arts, Education & Heritage
  • Disability & Health Care.
The type of projects the Trust are interested in funding include projects providing transport for the elderly, disabled or disadvantaged; contact networks for the young disabled; projects which encourage a sense of community such as community centres and village halls; employment training schemes especially those promoting local, traditional crafts; projects addressing issues such as drug/alcohol misuse or homelessness.
There are three grants schemes. These are:
  • The Large Grant Scheme, with grants of between £10,000 and £30,000 to cover capital costs
  • The Small Grant Scheme, grants of between £5,001 and £9,999 to cover capital and revenue costs;
  • The Fast Track Scheme with grants of up to £5,000 to cover capital and revenue costs.
In addition, the Foundation also provides funding to support capital projects at hospices throughout the UK; and on local projects providing support for mothers and babies in the first two years of life. The Grants Committee meets quarterly to consider applications at the beginning of February, May, September and November. The deadlines for submitting applications are generally 2 months before the date of a meeting. Read more at

Senin, 15 September 2014

From Micro-Chips to Oven-Chips...

Lo, and it came to pass, that a micro-chip was created that could cure all life's ills! Well, not quite, but it seems that as a counter-blast to low fat oven-chips, scientists have their eyes on providing us with the ‘magic-bullet’ to tackle the big beast of potential money-makers - obesity. You see, it’s all to do with our hormones and not those irresistible itsy-witsy fast-food offers that are thrust down our throats at every turn that we just simply can’t resist. 


Obesity is one of the greatest burdens on the NHS increasing the risk of conditions including diabetes, some cancers, heart, liver and kidney disease, gallstones and reduced fertility. The National Obesity Forum says that a quarter of adults are now considered obese and that, based on current trends, this could exceed one in every two by 2050. About 12,000 hospital appointments every year are for obesity-related conditions, the group says.

Behind the much fabled micro-chip is Professor Steve Bloom, who has combined the disciplines of physics, psychiatry and chemistry to tackle what he describes as the greatest killer of the modern day. His career has been focused on gut hormones and the discovery that the oxyntomodulin hormone reduces appetite and could offer a potential new treatment for obesity, This led to the creation of his company Thiakis, which was sold to the US pharmaceutical company Wyeth in 2008 for $150 million! Wyeth has significant ongoing research in metabolic diseases and is a ‘leader in the development and commercialisation of biotechnology-based drugs.’


As well as your gastric band, your weight-watchers, your faddy diet, packets of pills and mindfulness, we’re now on the brink of having, ‘an "intelligent microchip", which can send signals to the brain to stop the urge to eat.’

So, bugger the guilt and purchase your implant and I’m sure there’ll be shed-loads of data gathered from your inner recesses that might be sold-on to other sales teams. Who knows, if all else fails, google-glass might come up with a canny way of making us see ourselves as the perfect svelte creatures we’re told we should be, whilst harvesting shed loads of your personal data and flogging it on to the highest bidder.



Remember obesity is absolutely nothing at all to do with cheap supersized meals, cheep booze, sedentary lifestyles, lack of aspiration, poverty, being made to feel like dirt and told all your dreams need to be purchased and paid for on credit - a 4x4, flat-screened, double-glazed, upgraded, index-linked lifestyle! Our phone-ins, small-add lonely hearts, lottery fixated, overpriced care homes, privatised sports centres, comfort eating, disconnected, too thin-too fat obsessed tabloids, page 3 ‘girls’ side by side with anorexics, booze guzzling, armchair-phone-voting-TV-addicted, technologically deluded spoon-fed nanny-state-sponsored prescriptions, market-driven consumer lifestyle, has no part whatsoever in this ‘obesity epidemic’ - honestly.

Oh, and I understand that dear old MacDonald's has started an oh-so-needed delivery service for those of us so unable to leave our armchairs, and they'll bring super-sized slops straight to us. Hey, one day they may purĂ©e it and provide us with our very own clown-carer to spoon feed us to. 

Obviously, this is a serious issue and innovations like the micro-chip are potentially groundbreaking, but continuing to pathologise ‘diseases’ that are socially influenced, divorces us from personal choice and the consequences of our actions and our glib dependence on mopping up after the event. What about the governments ‘nudge unit’ that I understand has been part privatised! Where’s the evidence of the Behavioural Insights Team on affecting systemic lifestyle change? Obesity is a public health issue and a political issue.


Tracking study reveals public interest in the arts
A slightly higher proportion of UK adults have an interest in arts and culture (87%) than have an interest in sports (84%), according to the latest research into attitudes to the arts, although there are significant differences between men and women, with sports interest biased towards men, and arts and culture skewed towards women. Among young adults, almost as many think of themselves as an ‘arty person’ (49%) as a ‘sporty person’ (51%), and whilst only a quarter of all adults rate their general knowledge of arts and culture ‘much better’ or ‘a bit better’ than most, this figure is much higher (36%) among 16 to 29 year olds. The under-45s are also far more likely than those aged 45 and over to agree that arts and culture are important in helping them to understand the world around them. Find out more at:


Youth Arts and Health Conference
Rochdale Youth Service are looking to hold a Youth Arts and Health Conference in early March 2015. They are looking to develop a programme of young people’s health related projects, including a visual arts exhibition and a showcase of dance, drama and music. With interactive young people’s workshops and a series of speakers who could talk to professionals and young people on related themes, they are very interested to hear from anyone who might like to contribute to this conference. Please email Vicky Lomax at Rochdale Borough Council vicky.lomax@rochdale.gov.uk

Conrad Botes. Secret Language II. 2005. Lithograph, composition: 17 11/16 x 14 15/16" (45 x 38 cm). Publisher and printer: The Artists’ Press, White River, South Africa Edition: 30. The Museum of Modern Art. General Print Fund. © 2011 Conrad Botes
From our own correspondent... 
More from Victoria Hume in South Africa.
"...communities and patients seem far more open to arts as a tool for allowing their voice to be heard, allowing them to become empowered."

Granada Foundation Grants Programme 
(North West England)
The Granada Foundation has announced that the next closing date for applications is the 24th September 2014. Through its grants programme, the Foundation wishes to encourage and promote the study, practice and appreciation of the fine arts, including drawing, architecture and landscape architecture, sculpture, literature, music, opera, drama, cinema, and the methods and means of their dissemination. The Foundation also welcomes applications which aim to engage and inspire young people and adults to take an interest in science. The Advisory Council meets three times a year at regular intervals to consider applications. There is a clear preference for new projects; although the Foundation will support festivals and other annual events, this should not be regarded as automatically renewable. Prospective applicants are advised, in the first instance, to provide a brief outline of the project for which funding is sought by completing a short enquiry form or by telephoning the Administrator for an informal discussion, on 01244 661867. Read more at: http://www.granadafoundation.org/howtoapply/tabid/80/Default.aspx 

Digital Projects with a Social Impact
Next grant deadline: 22 September 2014
The Nominet Trust which provides funding and support to imaginative social technology ventures has announced that the next funding round of its Social Tech Seed Investment Programme will open for applications on the 22 September 2014. Social Tech Seed is an investment programme that offers early-stage investment of between £15,000 and £50,000 to entrepreneurs who are looking to develop new ventures using digital for social impact. This programme provides funding and support to help entrepreneurs nurture, develop and test their ideas. The Trust is looking for applications that demonstrate the potential of technology to tackle some of the big social issues in sectors including education, employability, healthcare and the environment.The Trust are hosting a series of pre-application events and web chats to give potential applicants the opportunity to find out more about what the Trust are looking for in a social tech venture and ask any questions about their project. Read more at www.nominettrust.org.uk/how-to-apply/our-investment-programmes-0 

Dementia Hub Project Manager 
(West Cornwall)
The essential requirements for the job are:
  • Knowledge and experience of cutting edge practice in person centred dementia support
  • Knowledge and experience of the role of participatory Arts in enhancing quality of life and wellbeing
  • Knowledge and experience of support work
  • Capacity to self direct, research and build supportive connections between formative evidence based learning and service improvement
  • Experience at working in partnership with multiple agencies and stakeholders.  http://m.monster.co.uk/138858875 

Sabtu, 06 September 2014

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Arts for Health are about to embark on an exploration of the impact of arts interventions on the mental health and wellbeing of nursing and care staff in the UK and further afield. We would be interested to read any papers, academic or journalistic in style, or have a brief outline of your work in this field. We are particularly keen to hear about the efficacy of measurement tools like WEMWBS. Just email artsforhealth@aol.com Thank you. 



The Bland Middle-Ground of Arts and Health...
A few years ago I posted this short clip of the actress Queenie Watts imposing something of her characters personality on the day-to-day tedium of a residential care-home. I share it again, not just because it makes me smile, but because as well as the Dementia and Imagination project that I have the pleasure of working on, it seems that at every corner I turn, people are scrabbling around to create the worlds greatest arts project with people affected by memory loss. Every conceivable art form is being sold as the next great breakthrough in dementia care - quite often bland and poorly conceived - driven by well intentioned, but deluded self-belief. 

Although I work in the field of arts/health, I have a dark fear about the wholesale reduction of culture and the arts to some bland wellbeing formula for older people. Isn’t it obvious that access to the arts will have a profound impact on people? But isn’t it even more blindingly obvious that lots of people don’t access the arts because they don’t think it’s relevant - can’t afford it - haven’t experienced it - or it’s not something offered in their postcode? (well, perhaps some nanny-state-sponsored Legz Akimbo might be). This week I saw the blistering Helen McCrory as Medea*. Sitting not too far from me, was a woman I know to have dementia. It was thrilling to see her absorbed and moved by this violent and deeply harrowing tragedy. A dangerous theatre visit for someone affected by dementia perhaps? I think not. Let us up the ante in our creative thinking.


I’ve spent too many hours in care homes, hospitals and other waiting rooms to know that the most isolated older people would probably enjoy a bit of decent company and conversation more than anything else. We’ve got ourselves in a bad way, when we’re forced to house our elders in overcrowded terminal transit depots, whilst we work all hours possible to line the pockets of owners, who pay their underpaid, uninspired bank-staff to sing prescription songs of bygone days, to the rheumy-eyed depressives, who we’ll all ultimately replace. We should be concerned - deeply concerned. Well, Queenie does it for me every time. It’s that determined look in her eyes, the defiant hammering of a sub-standard piano, the self determination and just a little bit of frustrated rage at this sub-standard experience of living. Forget worrying about purgatory in the 'after life', it's here on earth and just around the corner.


The Art of the Phone Booth in Remote Northern Territory
Anyone over the age of 20 may just remember the tail-end of a time, when to talk to friends and lovers, (beyond the prying ears of the family) we were dependent on phoneboxes on street corners. Foul piss-smelling places, scrawled with scratched-out names and numbers and more often than not, non too sophisticated renditions of genitalia. Bob Gosforth has written a neat little article on the phone booths in the remote Northern Territory of Australia, which reflects on these last out-posts for people who need to communicate from the middle of vast empty spaces, but who might not have credit or can’t afford, or access a mobile. Click on the image below to read the article.


The Chandelier of Lost Earrings... 
...has been named as the winner in the Best Arts Project category of the 2014 National Lottery Awards, following a public vote. Made from more than 3,000 single earrings, donated by people who have lost the other half of the pair, the sculpture is 2.5 metres tall and was first exhibited in the courtyard of St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester before going on to tour the country. Big congratulations to Lauren and Sharon and click on the image below for more info.


Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust
The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust which awards grants to registered charities in the United Kingdom has announced that the next closing date for applications is 1 November 2014. During 2014, the Trust is seeking to fund projects that promote Music and the Arts and help the elderly. Grants are usually between £1,000 and £3,000 and are awarded for one year. Read more at: http://www.austin-hope-pilkington.org.uk/

Interactive Health Care Fund Opens for Applications 
Creative England has announced a new £1million fund for regional based Small and medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), designed to stimulate creative and digital innovation in UK healthcare. The fund aims to encourage small creative and digital businesses in the North, Midlands and South West regions to develop innovative concepts or prototypes using digital technology to improve patient care and health services. The first of four programmes to open as part of this fund is the West Midlands Interactive Healthcare Fund. This is a £250,000 fund that will offer five £50,000 investments to support projects that focus on:
Improving quality of care
Caring for people with dementia
Supporting people with long-term conditions
Data visualisation.
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis and the fund will close on 31 October 2014. Read more at http://www.creativeengland.co.uk/business/interactive-healthcare-fund

Media Therapy Developer
An exciting opportunity has become available for a motivated media graduate to apply theirproduction and project management skills and expertise in a unique environment. The post has been created as a result of an innovative Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project, The Nottinghamshire healthcare NHS Trust and The Lincoln School of Film and Media at the University of Lincoln. The successful candidate will be based at The Peaks Unit which is located within the high secure Rampton Hospital. The Peaks is a centre for the treatment of men with severe personality disorder and the project will form part of the unit’s “Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)”. 

The project aims to design and produce a system for patients to create interactive drama and then disseminate that drama to others within the hospital via the units secure media system. There will also be the expectation that the associate will work with clinicians and academics to produce a system for measuring patient engagement with the process and products. http://jobs.lincoln.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=EL1101



*Medea, written in 431BC by Euripides. Even though I didn’t want to think any more about what psychosis might, or might not be, this play provokes a deep questioning of what constitutes ‘insanity’ in the face of abuse by the individual and by society. Bloody brilliant.