: )-

The world of arts/health continues to move steadily on through time and space regardless of the impending festivities and shut-downs. In the face of enforced bonhomie and gross consumption, I only hope I get an airfix happiness kit to solve all of life’s problems. As next years general election looms and wellbeing-by-numbers looks set to be on trend - and no doubt rolled out by all political parties and commodified - don’t be taken in by the propaganda. Much, much more to follow on this very soon.

Sigur Ros - because its lovely 

Thanks to those of you have registered your interest in contributing to the free arts/health event on February 12th, (details below on last weeks blog). If you fancy sharing your practice/research with critical friends, register your interest in no more than 150 words by emailing artsforhealth@aol.com

LIME 

The excellent Brian Chapman retired as director of LIME this week. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Brian over my last decade with Arts for Health - he’s one of the good guys and I wish him nothing but great things for his future. It’s fitting that one of his most recent projects with the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has won two national awards. The children's hospital project - Starship X-Ray - was in competition with over 200 national/international projects. I’m thrilled that my former Arts for Health colleague Dawn Prescott is directing LIME through its transition into new premises within the hospital, and in whatever paths this organisation follows.

Dementia and Imagination update...
Read accounts of what’s happening across the three research sites, as well as hearing from our very own research artist, Penny Klepuszewska who shares some poignant reflections of her time on an NHS clinical dementia unit. Click on the image below for the latest newsletter.

Arts and Health Seminar for PhD and Early Career Researchers
Following on from the highly successful ESRC Seminar Series on Arts, Health and Wellbeing, an opportunity has arisen to hold an Arts and Health seminar for PhD students and early career researchers.
When: 25th March 2015
Where: University of Nottingham
Why: To share knowledge, create networking opportunities and to think ahead
If you would like to register your interest please email:

Email: ntxaj3@nottingham.ac.uk

New study reveals barriers to youth participation in arts
“Young people from low income backgrounds still engage less in every category of arts and culture than their peers, according to the findings of a new survey, with the most significant differences relating to visiting exhibitions, involvement in music activities and heritage visits. (…) wider research suggests that not taking part in extra-curricular leisure activities as a child has a profound impact on life chances and can contribute to poorer children doing less well at school.”

“The study also found, particularly among those from low income families, that low awareness of opportunities was compounded by a language barrier around the words used to describe arts and culture, and the report suggests that measures of cultural engagement may be using “outdated understanding that is irrelevant to today’s young people”. Read more by clicking on the poor, poor child who lived his life as a ventriloquists doll!

So - in response to the issue, here are two funding opportunities focused on children an young people.

Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts - Start Programme
Deadline: 30th Jan 2015
The Start Programme provides funding and support for cultural organisations to develop and deliver arts enrichment programmes for primary and secondary school students in the UK. The Prince of Wales Children and the Arts Foundation is an educational charity that helps children experience the arts. The Start Programme provides funding and support for cultural organisations to develop and deliver arts enrichment programmes for primary and secondary school students. Start is an arts engagement programme providing the support, infrastructure and ideas for arts venues to connect with local schools who aren’t already engaging their pupils in creative experiences outside of school. The programme:
Introduces young people to the arts.
Inspires them to learn more.
Enhances their experience through critical analysis and participation.
Encourages them to create their own art.
Financial support up to a maximum of £15,000 per project in years one and two and a maximum of £10,500 in year three is available. Read more by clicking on the poor ventriloquists doll, forced to live its life as a child.

The Weavers Company Benevolent Fund 
The Weavers' Company, a textile-related, charitable and sociable organisation, has announced that the next closing date for its grants programme is the 30th March 2015. The Weaver's Company Benevolent Fund supports projects working with disadvantaged young people (aged 5 to 30 years) to ensure that they are given every possible chance to meet their full potential and to participate fully in society. The Fund also aims to help young people at risk of criminal involvement to stay out of trouble and assist in the rehabilitation of offenders, particularly young offenders both in prison and after release. Grants are usually no more than £15,000 per annum, and to make sure grants of this size have an impact, we will not fund large organisations. To be eligible for funding, local organisations such as those working in a village, estate or small town should normally have an income of less than £100,000. Those working across the UK should normally have an income of not more than £250,000. Read more at: http://www.weavers.org.uk/charitable-grants/grant-application-guidelines 

Calling all potters & ceramicists

Deadline: 4th Jan
Love Productions (the makers of BBC1's ‘The Great British Bake Off’) are currently researching a new programme for the BBC 2 for an exciting new programme about pottery. They are scouring the country for potters and ceramicists to take part in this new talent search that will test all the different aspects of their craft. Anyone who is interested in applying can request an application form at pottery@loveproductions.co.uk

CALL OUT TO ARTS AND HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS AND CRITICAL FRIENDS...

The North West Arts and Health Network in collaboration with Manchester School of Art,  MA Health & Wellbeing Students, presents a free day event, to share your work in a critically supportive community and find out more about arts/health research and practice.

This event will launch a new Arts for Health paper by Dr Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt that explores the Long Term Health Benefits of Participating in the Arts, which considers the ways in which our health may be affected by engaging in the arts over a longer period. Rebecca will present this international evidence base, together with a brief summary of the key studies. This research demonstrates a positive association between engagement in high-quality arts activities and life expectancy, disease resistance, mental acuity and even weight maintenance. Delegates at the event will receive a copy of the report. The event will showcase MA students explorations of the field and I hope, some international guests.

Individuals and organisations from the North West are invited to share their own work which will be presented in either a 10 minute presentation followed by a five minute discussion, or 15 minute workshop-style sessions. If you would like to share your work in a supportive environment, please email no more than a 150 word (max) synopsis outlining what you’d like to share, and in what format, to artsforhealth@aol.com Although we won’t be able to hear from everyone who wants to present their work, we do hope to select a range of practice/contexts, and the day will offer all those present, the opportunity for facilitated open discussion and networking. 

An eventbrite page for registration and an agenda will be set in early January, and participation to this free event is by registration only, which will be advertised on this blog.

KEEP THE DATE

When:

Thursday 12th February 2015
10:00am - 3:30pm

Where:

Manchester School of Art @ MMU

Artists International Development Fund 
Arts Council England has a £750,000 funding stream for artists to develop links with artists, organisations and/or creative producers in other countries. Freelance and self-employed artists can apply for small grants of £1,000 to £5,000 to spend time building these links to broaden your horizons and open your work to other perspectives. You must have received recognition for your work in England and not have extensive international experience. Your application must also include a letter of support from the overseas partner/host. The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 16th January 2015.

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-funding/apply-for-funding/artists-international-development-fund/

Funding for projects that support children & young people 

Registered Charities that work with young people have the opportunity to apply for grants through the Hilton Foundation Central Grants Programme. Registered Charities can apply for grants ranging from a few hundred pounds up to £30,000 per year for up to 2 years that are working in the areas of education or health with one of the Foundation' four chosen focus groups. These are:
  Children and young people with disabilities
  Children and young people who are sick in hospital
  Children and young people who are homeless
  Children and young people who are life limited
There is approximately £150,000 available to distribute each quarter. Grant applications for up to £10,000 can be approved by the Committee, and applications for more than £10,000 are recommended to the Trustees for final approval. There is no limit on the amount of money that a charity can request. However, the Foundation is a small charity and generally will not make awards of over £30,000 (per year). Funding can be requested for up to 2 years for any particular project. The next closing date for applications is the 10th February 2015. Read more by clicking on the old GREEN TRUNK below.  

...white riot

To artists and free thinkers: reimagine, change, attack… 
If you leave it up to the local council, will those pesky holes in the roads ever get filled in? I think not. Step forward artist Jim Bachor to fix up the crumbling streets of Chicago. 

If you leave it up to the Education Minister, you’d more or less do away with the arts in the curriculum. Whilst ministers come and go(ve) you just can take the chance in re-electing the same pernicious monsters. Step forward artist Bob and Roberta Smith (AKA Patrick Brill) who is standing against that very same ministerial rejection when the creature stands in the general election in 5 months time. 

‘Although Mr Gove left his post as Education Secretary, following a Cabinet reshuffle in July, to become the Tory’s chief whip, Brill said he is running against him as the “architect” of the policies that have marginalised arts in schools.’

“He has become a fulcrum to say the arts are really important in this country,” he said. “It’s a chance to say a lot of positive things about the arts rather than just bashing politicians.”

If you leave it up to the mainstream media, to tell us what is happening in the world truthfully and accurately, will we get the full unbalanced picture? Step forward John Pilger and the War by Media and the Triumph of Propaganda.

‘The times we live in are so dangerous and so distorted in public perception that propaganda is no longer, as Edward Bernays called it, an “invisible government”. It is the government. It rules directly without fear of contradiction and its principal aim is the conquest of us: our sense of the world, our ability to separate truth from lies.’

‘The information age is actually a media age. We have war by media; censorship by media; demonology by media; retribution by media; diversion by media – a surreal assembly line of obedient clichés and false assumptions.’

Gemma Climbs Her Mountain is an arts-council-funded multi-media performance showing for one night only at Media City at 7.30 on Wednesday 10th December. It tells the story of a woman coming to terms with an incurable disease. It's a work in progress to be followed by a Q&A with the artistic team and we are hoping to attract interest from producers and venues with a view to touring the piece next year. But even if you just want to come along and experience this weird and wonderful - and uplifting - work then you can book your FREE tickets by following this link: 

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/gemma-climbs-her-mountain-tickets-13729743031?aff=eac2

Funding to Connect Children with the Arts 
The Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts is inviting applications from arts organisations that are interested in being part of their Start programme, and are looking to recruit 8-10 new partners for the 2015/16 academic year supporting each project for at least 3 years. Start seeks to support cultural venues (e.g. theatres, museums, galleries and orchestras) to enable them to build partnerships with selected primary and secondary schools in their local areas, enabling children to experience the very best of the arts. Local authority venues can also apply as can non-venues so long as they can demonstrate a committed partnership with a venue that will last throughout the three years of the project. Children & the Arts will provide financial support to a maximum of £15,000 per project per year in years one and two, and a maximum of £10,500 in year three. The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 30th January 2015. Read more by clicking on the lad with the glass of water on his head!



Unlimited Arts Fund for Disabled Artists 
Disabled artists and arts organisations with a strong track record in their field can apply for funding from Unlimited to create and present new work, across all art forms. The work may still be at a very early stage of conception, or have already undergone some research and development. The Unlimited commission awards will range between £20,000 - £80,000 depending on scale and ambition (for Wales-based artists this is capped at £60,000). If you're thinking of applying you can book a 30 minute session to talk to the Unlimited team about your plans. They will be able to advise you about the scheme, its criteria and definitions in more depth and talk through your project proposal answering any questions you might have. The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 2nd February 2015. Read more at: http://weareunlimited.org.uk/apply-to-unlimited/                                

Study highlights lack of access to mental health care

By Arshya Vahabzadeh,MD 

 @VahabzadehMD



A new study from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics once again highlights that too many people living with mental health conditions are not getting needed care.



Study authors Laura A. Pratt, PhD, and Debra J. Brody, MPH, found that nearly 8% of Americans aged 12 and up had depression (moderate or severe depressive symptoms in the past 2 weeks). The rate of depression was twice as high among people living below the poverty level, 15%.



 Far more alarming, the study showed yet again that people with depression are going untreated. While nearly 90% of people with severe depressive symptoms reported difficulty with work, home, or social activities related to their symptoms, only about one-third (35.3%) had seen a mental health professional in the past year, according to the study. Among those with moderate depressive symptoms, only 1 in 5 had seen a mental health professional.



While there are many reasons people don’t get needed mental health care, including mental health stigma and lack of access, discrimination in mental health coverage by insurance companies shouldn’t be among the reasons. Federal law now requires that insurers cover mental health illnesses the same as physical ailments, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.





However, many people don’t know their rights when it comes to getting mental health treatment. To address this glaring problem, the American Psychiatric Association has released a new poster --

available to mental health professionals -- that explains in simple terms your rights under the law and what to do if you think your rights are being denied. Download a copy at www.psychiatry.org/parity.

World AIDS Day

By Annelle Primm, MD, MPH

World AIDS Day

December 1, 2014

Focus, Partner, Achieve:  An AIDS-Free Generation

World AIDS Day is a key opportunity to raise awareness and to commemorate those who lost their lives to this often deadly disease. But, today, we can also be hopeful about achieving an AIDS-free generation.  Increased access to treatment, new and better prevention services and care, and advances in treatment are all reasons for hopefulness.  And that amounts to greater peace of mind.

 

An estimated 35 million people worldwide have HIV and more than 39 million people have died from the virus since the first cases in 1981. In the U.S., more than 1.2 million people live with HIV, but nearly 1 in 7 of those don’t know they have the virus.

An estimated 50,000 people in the U.S. are newly infected each year.  It’s why I continue to tell people the importance of getting tested.  There’s no shame, just a need for information.

What is the Connection Between HIV and Mental Health?

Mental and neurological disorders have an intertwined and often complex relationship with HIV and AIDS. Yet mental health issues are often overlooked in HIV interventions and treatment.

• About 60% of people with HIV also have depression.  Sometimes one may be tempted to “blame” depression on their HIV status, but the reality is that depression can happen to anyone and treatment works


• Pre-existing mental disorders (including substance use) can complicate HIV-related illness.  It’s important for physicians to know all they need to know about your health, and for you to be comfortable sharing  


• Nearly 50% of people with HIV experience impaired motor skills, trouble with memory and poor concentration.  If you experience such changes, those are important to inform your doctor about


• Mental illness can make it more difficult for people to adhere to HIV-medication regimens


• New antiretroviral treatments and combination therapies can affect the central nervous system and/or have psychiatric side effects


• Mental illnesses can be especially challenging to recognize and diagnose in people with HIV/AIDS.  That’s why the APA works to educate and provide tools and training to physicians.

Unfortunately, both HIV and mental illness still carry a significant burden of stigma and discrimination.



As HIV/AIDS increasingly becomes a chronic disorder with the improvement of treatments, the need for mental health care and services is rising.  World AIDS Day is also a day to recognize the many psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians working with HIV patients who also have complicated psychiatric or substance use comorbidities.





Looking for ways to take action?  Here are a few simple, powerful, and engaging ways you can take action:

• Know your HIV status. Use and share the HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator  


• Share your message on social media using #FacingAIDS or  in the Facing AIDS gallery


• Learn about HIV/AIDS with the HIV/AIDS Basics. Ask questions. Get help.


• Take a quiz:  Are you HIV Aware? 

Annelle Primm, MD, MPH is the Deputy Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association