Spreading the Word on Writing and Health
An exciting nationwide project is underway to demonstrate the different ways in which creative writing can benefit health.
The project is organised under the auspices of Lapidus, the UK’s organisation for Creative Words for Health and Well-being and is funded by Arts Council England.
Lapidus promotes professional standards in the growing field of creative writing and reading (sometimes called ‘creative bibliotherapy’) to promote health and well-being. Lapidus works with writers and poets, medical and healthcare professionals, counsellors, therapists, social workers, librarians, academics, teachers, service users and service providers in a variety of therapeutic environments, as well as those with a general interest in writing for well-being.
The organisation has 300 members who were invited to tender to run pilot projects. There were fifteen submissions and eight were selected. The results of these will be evaluated and used to develop the field further. There is a growing evidence base for the benefits of creative writing on many aspects of health but further research is urgently needed. Each project exemplifies a way of working with writing in a health care setting.
The projects are running between January and May 2009.
There will be a Training Day at Burwalls Continuing Educations Centre in Bristol on Friday 12th June to present and discuss the outcomes.
The day will offer writing practitioners, healthcare professionals and other interested parties a chance to find out more about specific interventions, outcomes and partnership working.
Booking details will be available on www.lapidus.org.uk . The fee includes lunch and refreshments. Places are limited to 60 and will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis.
Lapidus Members - £30
Non-members - £40
Institutions / Invoices - £50
CPD Certificates – free to Lapidus Professional Members, otherwise £10
Project Manager, Victoria Field, a poetry therapist based in Cornwall, said, ‘One of the characteristics of writing in health and social settings is that many practitioners work in isolation on short-term projects. This new venture will bring together eight professionals in the field to demonstrate the varied and exciting ways in which creative writing can improve people’s well-being. It will also help to ‘make the case’ for more funding and support for this invaluable work.’
The eight projects are as follows:
- WRITING FOR CHILDREN IN LONG-STAY HOSPITAL CARE - Moira Andrew working with children in long-term hospital care in partnership with Caroline Johnstone, Head Teacher at Treliske Hospital School, Cornwall.
2.WRITING FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN - Lesley Glover and Kate Evans working with women with chronic pelvic pain in partnership with Dr Stella Morris, Consultant Psychiatrist of the Humber NHS Mental Health Teaching Trust in Humberside.
- CREATIVE WRITING WITH SELF-HARMING PRISONERS - Graham Hartill working with self-harming prisoners at Parc Prison and YOI in partnership with Laurence Bater, Head of Dept of Arts and Media at HMP &YOI Parc - in Wales.
- MAKING SOUP - Sandy Hutchinson Nunns working with trainee counsellors in partnership with Laura Chrysostomou at Lewes Library - in Sussex.
- HOOKED ON WORDS - Maggie Sawkins working with people with a drug or alcohol problem in partnership with Mark Poingdestre of Cranstoun-Portsmouth CDA - Hampshire.
- REFLECTING OURSELVES - Kate Thompson working with professional and voluntary counsellors at St Luke’s Hospice, Sheffield in partnership with Penny Merrett, Bereavement Service Co-ordinator at St Luke’s Hospice - in South Yorkshire.
- POSITIVE WORDS AND PICTURES - Julie Ward working with unemployed people with mental health problems in partnership with Jane Hartley, Chief Executive, the Pioneering Care Partnership - in County Durham.
- CREATIVITY FOR CONFIDENCE - Claire Williamson working with anxious, depressed or socially isolated and registered patients at Bedminster Family Practice in partnership with Dr Gillian Rice - in Bristol.
For further information:
Victoria Field
Project Manager, Spreading the Word on Writing and Health
2, Burley Court
New Street
Falmouth
TR11 3HJ
tel 01326 319030
victoriajfield@btconnect.com
Lapidus
BM Lapidus
London
WC1N 3XX
info@lapidus.org.uk
www.lapidus.org.uk
