Arts on Prescription
Artlift is a specialist creative health charity co-producing projects and courses for people living with mental and/or physical health challenges.
Our Arts on Prescription programmes are at the heart of our work benefitting adults living with mental health and/or chronic pain challenges, as well as those re-adjusting after time in intensive care.
We work closely with experts by experience and health partners to shape and develop our services. We also continually reflect and work to improve positive impact on participants’ health and wellbeing through listening to our participants’ feedback and use of wellbeing surveys.
We embed choice into our programmes and courses so they appeal to as wide a diversity of people as possible:
- we provide sessions in different locations across the county as well as online
- in addition to group courses, we offer a 1-1 Creative Navigator service for those experiencing barriers to participation
- we draw on a diversity of arts activities – from drawing and painting, arts and crafts and creative writing to structure making, carnival arts, theatre-based artforms and dance.
Artist Facilitators focus on creativity rather than technical skill. No skill, talent or experience in the arts is needed.
Our Arts on Prescription participants benefit from:
- usually 8 – 10 session courses
- up to 3 ‘Creative Check-in’ conversations with health coaching trained artists
- advice, training, mentoring and guidance documents to support establishment of ‘Move On’ plans and/or peer-led groups
- Access to an online Move On Hub and resources
Arts on Prescription is different from Art Therapy
We provide a safe space where our trained Artist Facilitators use creativity to support the mental and / or physical wellbeing of each person who joins us. We focus on the activity and / or the social interaction, not on a participant’s medical condition.
Most people join our groups, usually with a maximum of twelve people, working alongside an Artlift Artist Facilitator. The focus is on the creativity and arts activities. Participants report an appreciation of focusing on positive activities alongside people who have some shared understanding and/or experience.
Are you a potential participant?
If you are an individual living in Gloucestershire and would like to put yourself forward for our Create Well, Living Well or Men's Wellbeing programmes, please...
Are you a health professional?
If you are a health, VCSE or social prescribing professional, or are working with a patient / service user who could benefit from Arts on Prescription please...
