Director's Blog - Mai 2026
26/05/2026 | Author: Angela Rogers
Its Creativity and Wellbeing Week (18th – 24th May) - shining a light on the vital role that culture plays in supporting health and community connection.
Dear members
Its Creativity and Wellbeing Week (18th – 24th May) - shining a light on the vital role that culture plays in supporting health and community connection. This year, the arts and health conversation reached new audiences through a special takeover of The Big Issue - placing lived experience, creativity and social justice at the heart of a national platform. This kind of visibility matters. It helps to shift perceptions: from arts as an optional extra, to arts as essential infrastructure for wellbeing. I also love the front cover designed by artist David Shrigley, patron of the National Centre for Creative Health.
Since my last blog, we have witnessed a seismic shift in the political landscape in Wales. At WAHWN, we warmly congratulate Rhun ap Iorwerth on his appointment as First Minister and look forward to working constructively with Plaid Cymru, the new Cabinet, and Members of the Senedd across all parties throughout the Seventh Senedd term.
We are especially encouraged by the appointment of Heledd Fychan as Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport who in an interview with BBC Politics Wales has said:
"At the moment, arts and health programmes, they're funded by the Arts Council, and we want to ensure that they're embedded within the NHS so that you have parity of experience and opportunities wherever you live in Wales.”
"It's not just about investment; it will create savings and help grow the Welsh economy."
We share this ambition and look forward to renewed openness in policy-making - recognising the vital contribution of arts and culture to health, wellbeing and prevention, and positioning the arts not as a nice to have, but as a core pillar of a healthier Wales. We also welcome the appointments of Nerys Evans as Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, and Delyth Jewell as Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health.
At a time of rising demand on health and social care, the case for prevention has never been stronger. As Darren Hughes of the Welsh NHS Confederation notes, there is growing consensus on what needs to change - but the challenge remains how. The arts are a critical part of that “how”: enabling early intervention, strengthening communities, and addressing the social determinants of health.
This conviction underpins our AHRC Creative Communities Cynefin programme, delivered in partnership with Public Health Wales, Arts Council of Wales and the Future Generations Office—creating space for fresh thinking, shared learning and practical action at the intersection of arts, health and policy.
We are delighted to launch the first in a series of national discussions on 24th June:
How can the arts contribute to the best start in life?
Giving every child the best start in life means acting early to address the social determinants of health. This session will explore how arts and creativity can support the Marmot Principle that every child deserves the best start in life - building connection, confidence and development in the early years, and shaping lifelong outcomes.
We are proud to bring together leading voices from across sectors, including Professor Isabel Oliver, Chief Medical Officer for Wales; Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive of Arts Council of Wales; Dr Kathrin Thomas, Bevan Fellow and Deep End Network Cymru; and National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa.
We also look forward to launching Cynefin at the Hay Festival on 28th May, following Dr Daisy Fancourt’s talk. This marks the beginning of a wider series of four webinars exploring how positioning arts and health as a frontline public service could transform population health in Wales. We invite you to join us and help shape the conversation.
This spirit of collaboration was evident in our recent Stepping In training week, where we welcomed 12 inspiring new mentees into the WAHWN network. Over an energising week, participants engaged in a rich programme exploring neuro-inclusive creative practice, safeguarding, trauma-informed approaches, dementia-friendly work, and arts in NHS settings.
From Iola Ynyr’s work on Ar y Dibyn, to creative practice with musician and Capoeira teacher Colin Diamond; Outside Lives; Eleni Cymru; artist Jude Law; Mared Huws & Dr Nia Jones, Dean of Medicine; and wellbeing innovation through Mari Gwent’s Stiwdio Lles, the programme showcased the depth of expertise across Wales.
This work is supported by a growing evidence base. Research continues to show that arts and cultural engagement are associated with a slower pace of biological ageing, reinforcing what many in our network already know: creativity is not a luxury, but fundamental to healthy ageing and lifelong wellbeing.
Looking ahead, there is clear alignment with emerging national priorities. The Well-being of Future Generations Office is exploring proposals for a Committee for the Future and a cross-party group for future generations, while new national standards for social prescribing mark an important step forward in embedding holistic approaches within our health system.
Together, these developments signal a growing recognition that sustainable health and wellbeing cannot be delivered by clinical services alone - what Dr Daisy Fancourt describes as a “seatbelt moment” for arts and health".
We look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Onwards and upwards,
Angela
