Case Study: Gypsy Roma Traveller Arts Tackling health inequality through the arts

Introduction

Gypsy Roma Traveller Arts - Tackling health inequality through the arts was a cross sector partnership to build on the evidence that the arts can help to promote health and wellbeing, improve health behaviours and address health inequalities and inequities in West Wales in 2024. Hywel Dda’s Arts and Health and Community Outreach Teams worked with Carmarthenshire County Council and two arts partners; People Speak Up and Arts4Wellbeing to use the arts to improve relations, build trust and understanding, tackle misinformation and share health messages with the Gypsy and Traveller Communities living in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The initiative helped to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions, promoting a more inclusive and culturally aware approach to service provision.

The Challenge

Gypsy and Traveller communities are widely recognised to be more likely than the general population to be facing a variety of social risk factors, or wider determinants, of poor mental health, including, poverty, unemployment, lower educational attainment, insecure or lack of culturally-pertinent accommodation, and extreme stress (Tackling Suicide Inequalities in Gypsy and Traveller Communities 2022). According to Welsh Gov Gypsies and Travellers live shorter lives and suffer from chronic ill health. The social determinants of health are considered to be the principal drivers of health. Healthcare staff find it difficult to share health messages with this community who are often unsure/distrusting of authorities and have low literacy levels.

The Approach

Hywel Dda UHB commissioned two arts partners People Speak Up and Arts4Wellbeing to deliver 2 programmes of weekly art workshops over 6 weeks for the 2 largest Gypsy and Traveller sites in the Hywel Dda area in Monkton, Pembrokeshire and Penybryn, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. A mural was painted on an outside wall of the community room in Penybryn and a range of creative activities offered. Healthcare staff with healthy living messages were invited to attend and take part in the weekly creative activities alongside members of the community. In this project, smoking cessation, healthy eating, and mental well-being were discussed naturally as part of artistic sessions, allowing participants to absorb information in a relaxed setting. This method reduces stigma, as conversations are not framed as lectures but rather as shared discussions that empower individuals to make informed choices. Many participants found that the arts provided a safe space to ask health-related questions they might otherwise avoid, leading to increased awareness and confidence in seeking healthcare support. "All of the health-specific conversations were done in a relaxed, shoulder-to-shoulder setting while doing creative work, which took away the formal feeling of professionals ‘doing to’ others."

The Impact

Working with TriTech, HDUHB Research and Innovation Team, a Reflexive Thematic Analysis was carried out on interview recording transcripts, conducted with six individuals from the Gypsy & Traveller Community who attended the follow up Arts & Health Workshop In Monkton, Pembrokeshire. A further Reflexive Thematic Analysis was carried out on a single interview recording transcript, conducted with Gypsy & Traveller Community Development Outreach Workers, and Arts Partners from the Pembrokeshire, and Llanelli sites who attended the follow up Arts & Health Focus Group Meeting. The transcripts were analysed according to Braun & Clarke’s (2022) the six steps of reflexive thematic analysis and 5 themes were identified. 1) Growing Through Creativity and Confidence 2) Stronger Together: Friendship and Belonging 3) Making It Last: Impact and Change 4) Bridging Communities: Trust and Respect 5) Empowerment Through Participation "Engaging in creative activities gave me a sense of purpose. I felt happier and more confident in myself each week." "Meeting new people and making friends was the best part. It felt like a safe space where I truly belonged." "For the first time, I felt that professionals genuinely cared about our experiences and wanted to understand our needs."

Lessons Learned

Through meaningful engagement, the programme allowed service providers to interact with communities in a more personal and approachable way, fostering mutual understanding. By actively listening to participants and respecting their cultural identities, the outreach teamsbuilt rapport and demonstrated genuine interest in the wellbeing of those involved. Participants felt that their voices were being acknowledged, and many reported an increased willingness to engage with services outside of the programme.

The Legacy

Artwork and findings will be displayed in the Head offices of Hywel Dda and shared as a real life example of how the arts can be used to tackle systemic problems of health inequality. Arts engagement will continue to be provided through ongoing activities led by Hywel Dda Community Development Team and further funded sourced. We will use the project to advocate for ongoing support and sustainability, to ensure that community-driven initiatives have the funding and structure needed to create meaningful, long-lasting change.

Website and Social Media Links

https://tritech.nhs.wales/evaluation-reports/

Contact Details

Kathryn Lambert kathryn.lambert@wales.nhs.uk

Tags: Tackling health inequality through art Mental health and wellbeing Healthy living Gypsy and Traveller Arts, craft, mural,

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