Cynefin 1 - How can the arts contribute to the best start in life?

Emily van de Venter, Public Health Wales

Emily van de Venter is a Consultant in Public Health and Interim Director of Health Improvement with Public Health Wales. She has worked in Public Health for over 15years and whilst her experience is broad, she specialises in population approaches to promoting mental health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities, building on expertise gained from her BSc Neuroscience and MSc Public Health. She works closely with Welsh Government, NHS and non-health partners to support the implementation of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Wales, 2025-35.

Emily leads the Hapus programme which aims to inspire and enable people to take action to improve mental wellbeing, taking a positive psychology-informed approach to motivate individual and community-level action to protect and improve mental wellbeing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Emily led on preventing and controlling outbreaks in workplaces within a Local Authority area in England. This role gave her insights into ways of working in a range of business and witnessed the dedication of business to protect the health and wellbeing of their employees.

Dr Liz Gregory, Parent Infant Foundation

Dr Liz Gregory is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years experience in the NHS. She was joint Head of Child and Family Psychology in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board where she led on the development of a number of service innovations and strategic transformation. She was the Clinical Lead for the development of the co-produced NYTH/NEST Framework, a planning tool adopted by Welsh Government to support the mental health and wellbeing of babies, children and young people across Wales. For the last three years she has worked as Wales Development Lead for the Parent Infant Foundation a UK wide organisation focused on the development of specialised Parent-Infant Relationship services in Wales.

Yvonne Farquharson, Managing Director, Breathe Health Arts Research

Yvonne Farquharson is a seasoned and multi award-winning social entrepreneur who specialises in developing creative, research-led programmes to improve healthcare systems and transform lives.

Yvonne is on the Board of Trustees at School for Social Entrepreneurs and a previous winner of the Women in Social Enterprise Award. She has also been recognised on the WISE100 UK’s top 100 most inspiring and influential women in social enterprise and NatWest's Top 7 female business leaders in social enterprise.

Yvonne has been working in the arts and health sector for over me eighteen years and has gained international recognition for her work in the sector, frequently contributing to health, cultural and social enterprise conferences and events globally. She has co-authored research papers published in peer-reviewed medical journals and has delivered multiple TEDx talks.

Diane Lewis, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service at Hywel Dda University Health Board

Diane Lewis is a Specialist Perinatal Occupational Therapist within the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service at Hywel Dda University Health Board, a role she has held since 2023. Originally from West Wales, Diane graduated from Cardiff University in 2006 with a BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy. Her early career included rotational posts across physical and mental health, developing broad experience in vocational rehabilitation, orthopaedics, stroke, paediatrics, social care, and housing.

Diane has a strong specialism in mental health, paediatrics, and neonatal care. She established the Children’s Occupational Therapy Service in Ceredigion and later worked extensively with children with complex needs in Pembrokeshire. In 2017, she became Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist in Neonatal Care, helping embed Family Integrated Care and contributing to an award-winning service recognised by Bliss. Diane now specialises in supporting parents’ mental health, occupational balance, and adjustment to parenthood, with particular interest in neurodiversity and early relationships.

Riddhi Laijawala, Stress Psychiatry and Immunology Lab, King’s College London

Riddhi Laijawala is a Trial Manager at the Stress Psychiatry and Immunology Lab, King's College London, specialising in perinatal psychiatric research. She has contributed to the SHAPER Melodies for Mums programme – an arts-in-health initiative exploring how singing and music-based interventions can support maternal mental health the mother–infant relationship during the perinatal period.

Her research is driven by a deep interest in mental health in the perinatal period and the lasting impact on child development. Trained in observer-rated measures, she brings both methodological rigour and clinical sensitivity to assessing maternal and infant interactions.

She also serves as Managing Editor (Social Media) for Inspire the Mind, translating complex science into accessible insights for wider audiences across social media platforms.

Becca May Collins, ‘Nurturing Dads’ arts and health project manager

Becca is a freelance Arts and Health Project Manager, leading the Nurturing Dads project, funded by the Baring Foundation. Over the past three years, she has managed a range of co-produced community arts and health initiatives across Gwent, including Create: Community Champions, and Reaching Out: Art for Dementia. Becca also currently manages the Newport Arts Referral Project, funded by Arts Council of Wales. Passionate about understanding community need and addressing health and wellbeing challenges through collaboration. Becca will share insights from Nurturing Dads through recorded interviews with participating fathers.

Ticky Lowe, Making Sense CIO

Ticky Lowe is a North Wales–based artist, creative facilitator, and charity leader who specialises in making arts, culture, and heritage accessible through multi-sensory experiences. She founded Making Sense CIO, an artist-led charity that works with galleries, museums, care homes, schools, and community groups to create inclusive cultural experiences for people of all ages and abilities.

Before establishing Making Sense, Lowe worked in cultural education, including roles at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the National Wildflower Centre in Liverpool. A key influence on her career was managing the “Access to Heritage” project for Mencap Liverpool, where she helped develop sensory and interactive approaches that made museums and heritage sites more accessible to people with learning disabilities.

Her artistic practice focuses on touch, interaction, memory, and sensory engagement. Through Making Sense, she has led projects that support families with young children, people with dementia, and individuals with learning disabilities, helping them connect with creativity, culture, and their communities in meaningful ways.

Tania Hayward Flying Start Team Lead Flying Start Blaenau Gwent

Tania Hayward is the Flying Start Team Lead responsible for antenatal, health and dads support workers, including the management of family support workers. With a background in maternity services, Sure Start and Families First, Tania brings a strong understanding of early intervention, family wellbeing and partnership working. She is passionate about leading and developing services that ensure all children get the best start in life. A strong advocate for fathers, Tania is committed to supporting dads and promoting equality and equity for families across Blaenau Gwent. 

Katie Iceton, Early Years Lead Public Health Directorate

Katie is an Early Years Lead within the Public Health Directorate, working to improve outcomes for babies, young children, and families across the first 1,000 days and beyond. Her role focuses on promoting infant feeding, supporting good nutrition and healthy weight, and addressing childhood obesity through evidence-based programmes and strong partnerships. She leads initiatives to enhance school readiness and reduce health inequalities, helping to ensure all children have the best possible start in life. 

Katie developed the StARTing Well perinatal mental health and creative arts project, working collaboratively with health services, community artists, and third sector partners. Her work is rooted in prevention, early intervention, and person-centred approaches, with a strong emphasis on supporting family wellbeing and improving long-term public health outcomes for communities. 

Diane Lewis, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service at Hywel Dda University Health Board Hywel Dda University Health Board

Diane Lewis is a Specialist Perinatal Occupational Therapist within the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service at Hywel Dda University Health Board, a role she has held since 2023. Originally from West Wales, Diane graduated from Cardiff University in 2006 with a BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy. Her early career included rotational posts across physical and mental health, developing broad experience in vocational rehabilitation, orthopaedics, stroke, paediatrics, social care, and housing.

Diane has a strong specialism in mental health, paediatrics, and neonatal care. She established the Children’s Occupational Therapy Service in Ceredigion and later worked extensively with children with complex needs in Pembrokeshire. In 2017, she became Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist in Neonatal Care, helping embed Family Integrated Care and contributing to an award-winning service recognised by Bliss. Diane now specialises in supporting parents’ mental health, occupational balance, and adjustment to parenthood, with particular interest in neurodiversity and early relationships

Tania Hayward, Flying Start Team Lead Flying Start, Blaenau Gwent

Tania Hayward is the Flying Start Team Lead responsible for antenatal, health and dads support workers, including the management of family support workers. With a background in maternity services, Sure Start and Families First, Tania brings a strong understanding of early intervention, family wellbeing and partnership working. She is passionate about leading and developing services that ensure all children get the best start in life. A strong advocate for fathers, Tania is committed to supporting dads and promoting equality and equity for families across Blaenau Gwent.