Director's Blog - September 2024 | Blog y Cyfarwyddwr - Mis Medi 2024
19/09/2024 | Author: Angela Rogers
After emerging from a restful and reflective August, it’s now full steam ahead for Team WAHWN as we enter into our busy Autumn programme.
After emerging from a restful and reflective August, it’s now full steam ahead for Team WAHWN as we enter into our busy Autumn programme. I hope all our members have found some time to pause and recalibrate over the Summer, and we look forward to reconnecting with you all over the coming weeks and months.
It was a wonderful start to September seeing the beautiful and moving performance ‘Requiem’ by Oasis One World Choir at Amroth Beach last weekend, and then welcoming them to our new round of peer learning groups alongside 10 other organisations who introduced their ACW funded arts and health partnership projects. We look forward to holding space for all the projects to share challenges, achievements and explore how best to grow and sustain their work.
WAHWN remains committed to proactively advocating for the sustainability and growth of our sector and exploring every available opportunity to highlight our impact. This month we welcome the new Cross Party Group on Arts and Health Chair Heledd Fychan, MS with whom we will work towards building political traction. In November, we will attend the Welsh NHS Confederation ‘Ambition for a Healthier Nation’ conference and the Festival of Ideas Wellbeing Economy Conference at Swansea Arena.
This month we have been feeding into the recommendations of the Future Generations’ Office Cymru Can 7 Year Vision and Purpose Strategy, calling for the arts to become a statutory service and to be appropriately resourced. What Next Cymru? sessions have focused on Cymru Can this month and offered an opportunity to address, with Future Generations Officers, the challenge of how we ensure culture and Welsh language become an embedded goal across all public bodies in Wales. It’s been interesting to learn about innovative solutions including a pioneering 'Artist in Service' opportunity within Rhondda Cynon Taf and Conwy CBC including a Senior Culture Officer in cross-departmental council meetings, but there is a long way to go before all public bodies are delivering on their duties under the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.
Although there are innovative and creative approaches taking place, it's clear that many public bodies are unclear how to work collaboratively with arts and culture, and WAHWN welcomes the opportunity to explore how our sector can support the Future Generations Officer in addressing this through a series of upcoming meetings, alongside planning a network meeting in the coming months to help gather members’ feedback on the key questions. We will welcome Sandy Clubb, Policy Lead: Involvement, Collaboration and Culture to present at our next Network Meeting on 24th October.
Following our open letter to the Chair and Chief Executive of Cardiff & Vale University Health Board in August about the pending closure of the arts programme, we were able to highlight our concerns further by raising the issue at the health board’s recent AGM. Our response from the Chair is that they are making efforts to sustain some activity. WAHWN will continue to call for a strategic commitment which requires investment in a dedicated arts and health lead post.
Our response to the Culture Priorities consultation was submitted earlier this month and we would like to thank all our members who have supported this. Last week, our Programme Manager Tracy contributed to the Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Social Prescribing Community of Practice. The day started with two creative workshops from artists Martine Ormerod and Stepping-In Mentee, Lyndsey Fouracre-Reynolds, and included an interactive World Café discussion on the potential for an Arts and Health referral scheme in Hywel Dda UHB, led by Professor Carolyn Wallace, Director of the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR).
Images: Martine Ormerod
As part of the Baring Foundation’s Creatively Minded series, I enjoyed their recent online launch of Creatively Minded at the Theatre - a new report looking at targeted participatory opportunities for people experiencing mental health problems to be involved in theatre/drama, based on the experiences of 15 different organisations or groups involved in this work, including Small World Theatre’s Amethyst programme. Contributors included Andrew Eaton, Mental Health Foundation who shared Performing Anxiety a new resource for audience-facing arts projects about mental health.
Our How Ya Doing? Autumn programme is live for booking now – with just a few spaces for artists on the Reflective Practice sessions in English and Welsh. If you are a facilitator and would like to enhance your skills to be able to offer Reflective Practice to your clients, then we highly recommend joining us for Alison O’Connor’s 2-day training course. For organisations who want to explore how to enhance and develop their wellbeing offer on a strategic level, take a look at Justine Wheatley’s 1-day course on Strategies for Wellbeing.
As we approach the end of our ACW-funded pilot Stepping In programme, we are delighted that our four mentees have engaged in a varied and full programme of residential training, mentoring and several weeks’ placements across health and community settings. These have included People Speak Up’s Creative Home Delivery Service (recently nominated for the Innovation Category, Social Business Wales Award 2024)and Hywel Dda UHB’s Arts Boost programme for young people on the CAHMS waiting list. We are delighted that several mentees have been commissioned to deliver work as a direct result of this programme.
“I have never been part of anything like this that is so well thought out in its pilot stage, I’ve never been part of anything like that, so I’m more confident, the risk has paid off…” (Stepping In mentee)
Our focus over the next couple of months will be finalising the evaluation with Professor Wendy Keay Bright and working with Arts and Health Consultant Rosie Dow to reflect and build on the learning and develop a longer-term programme to nurture and grow a diverse arts and health practitioner workforce across Wales. We are looking forward to working with artist film maker Simon Huntley to produce a short film and case studies.
And finally, on the back of the success of our inaugural Weave conference in 2023, we are planning a further in-person conference in Wrexham in Autumn for September 2025, in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Wrexham Glyndwr University. There will be a range of sponsorship opportunities, and we look forward to sharing further details in the coming months.
Onwards and Upwards!
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A ninnau’n ailafael ynddi ar ôl mis Awst hamddenol a myfyriol, dyma Dîm WAHWN nawr yn bwrw iddi wrth i ni ddechrau ar raglen brysur yr hydref. Gobeithio bod ein haelodau wedi cael amser am seibiant a chael ail wynt dros yr haf, ac edrychwn ymlaen at ailgysylltu gyda chi i gyd dros yr wythnosau a’r misoedd nesaf.
Roedd yn ddechrau gwych i fis Medi cael gweld y perfformiad prydferth ac emosiynol o ‘Requiem’ gan Gôr Un Byd Oasis ar Draeth Amroth y penwythnos diwethaf, ac yna eu croesawu i’n cylch newydd o grwpiau dysgu cymheiriaid ochr yn ochr â 10 sefydliad arall a gyflwynodd eu prosiectau partneriaeth celfyddydau ac iechyd a gyllidwyd gan CCC. Edrychwn ymlaen at drefnu lle i’r holl brosiectau gael rhannu heriau, llwyddiannau ac ystyried y ffordd orau i dyfu a chynnal eu gwaith.
Mae WAHWN yn parhau i ymrwymo i eiriol yn rhagweithiol dros gynaladwyedd a thwf ein sector ac edrych ar bob cyfle posibl i dynnu sylw at ein heffaith. Y mis hwn rydyn ni’n croesawu Cadeirydd Grŵp Trawsbleidiol y Celfyddydau ac Iechyd Heledd Fychan AS a byddwn yn gweithio gyda hi ar feithrin dylanwad gwleidyddol. Ym mis Tachwedd, byddwn yn mynd i Gynhadledd Conffederasiwn GIG Cymru 'Uchelgais ar gyfer Cenedl Iachach' a Chynhadledd Economi Llesiant Gŵyl Syniadau yn Arena Abertawe.
Y mis hwn rydyn ni wedi bod yn bwydo i argymhellion Swyddfa Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol, Cymru Can: Ein Gweledigaeth a’n Pwrpas, yn galw ar i’r celfyddydau ddod yn wasanaeth statudol a chael adnoddau priodol. Mae sesiynau What Next Cymru? wedi canolbwyntio ar Cymru Can y mis hwn ac wedi cynnig cyfle gyda Swyddogion Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol i fynd i’r afael â’r her o sut y gallwn ni sicrhau bod diwylliant a’r iaith Gymraeg yn nod sydd wedi’i wreiddio ledled holl gyrff cyhoeddus Cymru. Mae wedi bod yn ddiddorol dysgu am ddatrysiadau arloesol gan gynnwys cyfle 'Artist mewn Gwasanaeth' blaengar yn Rhondda Cynon Taf a CBS Conwy gan gynnwys Uwch Swyddog Diwylliant mewn cyfarfodydd cyngor trawsadrannol, ond mae ffordd bell i fynd cyn y bydd pob gwasanaeth cyhoeddus yn cyflawni ar eu dyletswyddau dan Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol.
Er bod agweddau arloesol a chreadigol ar waith, mae’n glir bod llawer o gyrff cyhoeddus yn aneglur ynglŷn â sut i fynd ati i gydweithio gyda’r celfyddydau a diwylliant, ac mae WAHWN yn croesawu’r cyfle i ystyried sut y gall ein sector gefnogi Swyddog Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol i fynd i’r afael â hyn drwy gyfres o gyfarfodydd sydd ar y gweill, ochr yn ochr â chynllunio rhaglen rhwydwaith yn ystod y misoedd nesaf i helpu i gasglu adborth aelodau ar y cwestiynau allweddol. Byddwn yn croesawu Sandy Clubb, Ymgynghorydd Polisi: Cynnwys, Cydweithredu, Diwylliant i gyflwyno yn y Rhaglen Rhwydwaith nesaf ar 24 Hydref.
Yn dilyn ein llythyr agored i Gadeirydd a Phrif Weithredwr Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro ym mis Awst ynglŷn â dileu arfaethedig y rhaglen celfyddydau, cawsom gyfle i dynnu sylw at ein pryderon ymhellach drwy godi’r mater yng Nghyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol y Bwrdd Iechyd. Yr ymateb gan y Cadeirydd yw eu bod yn gwneud ymdrech i barhau gyda rhywfaint o weithgaredd. Bydd WAHWN yn parhau i alw am ymrymwiad strategol sydd angen buddsoddiad mewn swydd benodol yn y celfyddydau ac iechyd.
Cyflwynwyd ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad ar Flaenoriaethau Diwylliannol gennym yn gynharach y mis hwn a diolch i’r holl aelodau sydd wedi cefnogi hyn. Yr wythnos ddiwethaf cyfrannodd ein Rheolwr Rhaglenni Tracy i Gymuned Ymarfer Rhagnodi Cymunedol Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda. Dechreuodd y diwrnod gyda dau weithdy creadigol gan Martine Ormerod a’r Mentai Camu i Mewn, Lyndsey Fouracre-Reynolds, ac roedd yn cynnwys trafodaeth Caffi Byd rhyngweithiol ar y potensial am gynllun atgyfeirio Celfyddydau ac Iechyd yn BIP Hywel Dda, dan arweiniad yr Athro Carolyn Wallace, Cyfarwyddwr Ysgol Ymchwil Rhagnodi Cymdeithasol Cymru.
Delweddau: Martine Ormerod
Fel rhan o gyfres Creatively Minded Sefydliad Baring, mwynheuais i lansiad diweddar Creatively Minded at the Theatre – adroddiad newydd yn edrych ar gyfleoedd cyfranogi wedi’u targedu at bobl sy’n profi problemau iechyd meddwl, iddyn nhw gael cymryd rhan mewn theatr/drama, ar sail profiadau 15 o sefydliadau neu grwpiau gwahanol sy’n rhan o’r gwaith hwn, gan gynnwys rhaglen Amethyst Small World Theatre. Roedd y cyfranogwyr yn cynnwys Andrew Eaton, Y Sefydliad Iechyd Meddwl a rannodd Performing Anxiety sef adnodd newydd i brosiectau celfyddydau gyda chynulleidfa ynghylch iechyd meddwl.
Mae rhaglen yr hydref Sut Mae'n Mynd? bellach yn fyw ar gyfer archebu – gyda rhai llefydd ar gael i artistiaid ar y sesiynau Ymarfer Myfyriol yn Gymraeg a Saesneg. Os ydych chi’n hwylusydd a hoffai gyfoethogi eich sgiliau i allu cynnig Ymarfer Myfyriol i’ch cleientiaid, rydyn ni’n argymell ymuno â chwrs hyfforddi deuddydd Alison O’Connor. I sefydliadau sydd am edrych ar sut i wella a datblygu eu cynnig llesiant ar lefel strategol, cymerwch olwg ar gwrs undydd Justine Wheatley ar Strategaethau ar gyfer Llesiant.
Wrth i ni ddod i ddiwedd cynllun peilot rhaglen Camu i Mewn a gyllidir gan CCC, rydyn ni wrth ein bodd fod y pedwar mentai wedi cymryd rhan mewn rhaglen amrywiol a llawn o hyfforddiant preswyl, mentora a nifer o wythnosau o leoliad gwaith ar draws lleoliadau iechyd a chymunedol. Mae’r rhain wedi cynnwys Gwasanaeth Danfon Creadigol yn y Cartref People Speak Up (a enwebwyd yn ddiweddar yng nghategori Arloesedd Gwobrau Busnes Cymdeithasol Cymru 2024) a rhaglen Hwb i’r Celfyddydau BIP Hywel Dda i bobl ifanc ar restr aros CAHMS. Mae’n wych fod sawl mentai wedi’u comisiynu i gyflwyno gwaith o ganlyniad uniongyrchol i’r rhaglen hon.
“Dwi ddim erioed wedi bod yn rhan o ddim byd fel hwn o’r blaen sydd wedi’i gynllunio mor dda yn y cyfnod peilot, dwi ddim wedi bod yn rhan o ddim byd tebyg, felly dwi’n fwy hyderus, mae’r risg wedi talu ar ei ganfed…” (mentai Camu i Mewn)
Bydd ein ffocws dros y misoedd nesaf ar gwblhau’r gwerthusiad gyda’r Athro Wendy Keay Bright a gweithio gyda’r Ymgynghorydd Celfyddydau ac Iechyd Rosie Dow i fyfyrio ac adeiladu ar y dysgu a datblygu rhaglen tymor hirach i feithrin a thyfu gweithlu amrywiol o ymarferwyr celfyddydau ac iechyd ledled Cymru. Rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at weithio’r gyda’r gwneuthurwr ffilmiau Simon Huntley i gynhyrchu ffilm fer ac astudiaethau achos.
Ac yn olaf, yn dilyn llwyddiant cynhadledd gyntaf Gwehyddu yn 2023, rydyn ni’n cynllunio cynhadledd wyneb yn wyneb arall yn Wrecsam yn ystod hydref 2025 ym mis Medi, mewn partneriaeth gyda’r Sefydliad Iechyd Meddwl. Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr a Phrifysgol Glyndŵr Wrecsam. Bydd amrywiaeth o gyfleoedd noddi, ac edrychwn ymlaen at rannu rhagor o fanylion dros y misoedd nesaf.
Ymlaen!
