Case Study: Sharing Hope

Introduction

Sharing Hope (SH) was an award-winning wellbeing project for staff working in Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) that used a creative health approach to improve mental health and wellbeing. Originally begun in 2021, within the post-Pandemic context, this new iteration built on the model to create a multi- site, multi-artform programme with the aim of widening access and increasing impact. It unfolded across five SBUHB hospitals from November 2024 to October 2025 , in six blocks of weekly lunchtime sessions, each led by different artists, and co-facilitated with Morlas Associate Gini Hearth, who had worked on previous SH iterations as lead artist from 2021 to 2024. Staff reported benefits included improved focus, reduced stress, reduced isolation, increased skills

The Challenge

Over 10,000 working days per month are lost due to sickness in SBUHB, with 30-40% due to mental-health and occupational stress related absences, negatively impacting productivity, workload, staff retention, recruitment and patient care, and increasing existing financial pressures ( > £78m was spent on temporary staff in 2023). A wide body of research and evidence of the positive impact of art on mental wellbeing, includes increasing examples of the positive impact of creative health workplace interventions. This iteration aimed to widen access, locations, artforms, and target isolated staff cohorts. Having had a visual arts focus in 2021-24, this programme also included 3D visual arts, movement and creative writing.

The Approach

SH delivered 46 weekly ‘drop-in’ lunchtime workshops of 2 hours+ at 5 SBUHB sites reaching 177 staff. Focused engagement and communications deployed presentations, intranet messages, posters and social media.

• Singleton Hospital - 8x Textile; Nov, Dec 2024
• Cefn Coed Hospital - 8x Ceramics; Jan, Mar, Apr 2025
• Gorseinon Hospital - 4x Movement; Apr 2025
• Morriston Hospital - 8x Creative Writing; May, Jun 2025
• Neath Port Talbot - 16x ‘Print & Pause’; Jun to Oct 2025 2 sessions (printmaking, movement) delivered at team events

Morlas Associates: Rhian Jones undertook operational project management and was lead textile artist. Gini Hearth (GH) undertook project design, co-facilitated sessions and offered supervision if requested.

SBUHB Arts & Heritage Team: Johan Skre, Arts in Health Service Manager

Lead Artists: Rhian Jones, Textiles Esther Ley, Ceramics C J Ashen, Movement Rufus Mufasa, creative writing Ami Marsden, printmaking

Good practice included co-facilitation, regular debriefs, supervision (if requested), paid planning and evaluation time. SBUHB provided sessional support to support transitions. Specialist equipment, materials and techniques offered inspiration, enjoyment and skills development.

Activities were delivered within the £45,990 budget.

The Impact

Aligning with previous SH delivery and its impacts, staff reported positive mental health benefits from participation, including:

• calm and relaxation boosted morale
• enhanced connection and team cohesion sense of achievement through creative expression improved focus safe,
• supportive spaces for self-care and reflection

Attendance was patchy but there were notable successes, with the enthusiasm and joy of participants reflected in the original artworks produced during sessions. ‘Print and Pause’ sessions at Neath Port Talbot (NPT) Hospital generated particular momentum through ‘word of mouth’ and were extended for a 2nd block; Ceramics sessions at Cefn Coed Hospital also gained traction.

A short film of onsite Raku firing received over 8600 views on SBUHB staff channels.

Data was collected through an attendance log; sessional participant feedback was collected through 1:1 interviews recorded by GH, and latterly through written notes (offering greater anonymity).

NPT staff also recorded their thoughts and experiences directly onto gelli-print artworks which were documented by the team.

Independent evaluator Justine Wheatley undertook transcription and analysis of participant feedback, conducted reflective interviews with project personnel and synthesised data for reporting

Lessons Learned

Despite SBUHB management support, an established project model and widely disseminated communications, the 2024-25 context of scarce resources of time and money - increasing financial pressures, patient numbers and staff absence rates - presented considerable challenges to staff participation. The target ‘OSCE’ nursing cohort identified during planning had dispersed. Securing permission to join, or leaving hard-pressed colleagues, prevented staff from joining, whilst the multi-site and multi-artform model meant momentum did not build.

The Legacy

‘It rehumanises us and gives us a break’

Sharing Hope leaves a positive legacy for 100s of SBUHB staff who took part from 2021, and an appetite at senior levels for creative approaches to workplace wellbeing. A related development is the growing Swansea Bay Creative Community, an online NHS Wales intranet platform, for SBUHB staff to connect and reach out, where Sharing Hope content attracts multiple views.

Future staff wellbeing initiatives are likely to be integrated into holistic creative hospital services serving users and staff

Contact Details

Rhian Jones or Gini Hearth Morlas Arts & Heritage Team at Swansea Bay UHB (c/o Johan.Skre@wales.nhs.uk)

Tags: Arts in health, textiles, ceramics, raku, creative writing, creative movement, print making, gelli-printing, NHS Staff, clinicians, health managers, nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, health care assistants, stress, burn out, anxiety, mental ill-health, isolation, connection, team-building, staff retention, overload

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