Create shortlisted for Mental Health Awards
I am delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards 2024.
Our creative:voices programme has been shortlisted in the Innovative Proactive Wellbeing category, which is designed to celebrate innovative wellbeing interventions or activities that have had a positive impact over at least two years.
creative:voices is Create’s multi-artform programme that offers adult carers the opportunity to take a creative break from their responsibilities, foster trusting relationships, and cultivate new skills, interests, and confidence. Each project empowers carers to explore their creativity and self-expression through high-quality creative arts workshops led by our professional artists. They are given a chance to meet others and boost their mental wellbeing through music, dance, painting, photography, drama and a host of other artforms.
The impact of caring on mental health
Adult carers provide unpaid care for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. The impact of caring goes beyond “just” a commitment of time and energy: many carers also experience social isolation and believe that their physical and emotional health has been negatively affected by their responsibilities.
A 2023 Carers UK report on carers’ health found that a significant proportion of carers said their mental health has been affected by caring: 79% of carers feel stressed or anxious, 49% feel depressed, and 50% feel lonely. 61% of carers said they needed more support to be able to look after their health and wellbeing.
“Projects like this help carers with our mental health. They give us somewhere to go. There’s a lot of fear. You don’t really know what we’re suffering because we’re all in houses by ourselves. We’re all in isolated little pockets, so unless we come together, we don’t know what’s happening for other people.” – Adult carer Renee
Improving mental wellbeing through the creative arts
The positive impact of creativity and arts engagement on mental health and overall wellbeing has been firmly established by decades of research. In 2019, the World Health Organisation reported that 3,500 studies had shown the widespread health improvements that came from arts engagement, from neurological disorders to child development.
We designed creative:voices to alleviate feelings of isolation and enhance mental health and wellbeing, enriching carers’ sense of belonging in their community and increasing their confidence in themselves and their abilities.
“I enjoyed the project and found it therapeutic. It always brightened my day when I came here. You don’t know what creativity you have until you try it.”
Adult carer Lia
We piloted the project in 2011 with Carers Lewisham. The pandemic highlighted as never before the inequalities and isolation faced by adult carers and, thanks to a significant three year grant in 2022 from the Comic Relief/Walkers Smiles Fund for projects improving mental wellbeing, were able to expand creative:voices to nine services that year. The programme has continued to expand: projects with 18 services are being planned for 2024/25.
We are thrilled that the creative arts are being recognised as a powerful tool for enhancing mental wellbeing through this shortlisting of creative:voices.
“The sessions always bring out the better version of me. It affords me the “me” I crave. It is time used to realise my abilities with my caring role. I thoroughly enjoy being in the company of other carers and I can share without being judged.” – Adult carer
Nicky Goulder, Founding Chief Executive