Case Study: Taith Creative Journeys to Wellbeing
Authors(s), Creator(s) and Contributors: Sian Young - Wellbeing Officer: Arts & Culture
Publication Date: 08/04/2025
Categories: Case Studies
Partner(s): Taith was led by Creu Conwy (Conwy County Borough Council) in partnership with Conwy Mind and Conwy Mental Wellness Team (CCBC).
Funder(s): Funding for the Taith pilot was granted through the Arts Council of Wales - Arts, Health & Wellbeing Lottery Fund with match funding contribution from Conwy Mental Wellness team and Creu Conwy.
Introduction
Conwy County Borough Council’s Creu Conwy Culture & Mental Wellness teams partnered with Conwy Mind to develop Taith, which offered artist-led, creative activities to people experiencing mental health challenges in accessible community spaces. The aim of the project was to remove barriers to participation in cultural activities and co-produce an avenue for improved mental health and wellbeing through creativity and mindful exploration. The project aimed to empower participants to work alongside experienced creative facilitators and Health & Social Care (H&SC) professionals. Participants played an important, active role in co-producing a resource that helps build confidence and self-esteem and removes the stigma attached to accessing mental health support.
The Challenge
In September 2021 the Creu Conwy consultation with residents revealed that Covid and the economic crisis had further compounded ongoing challenges with mental health in particular anxiety, depression, loneliness and isolation. In order to develop the action plan, a review was carried out into the current culture-for-wellbeing offer within Conwy with a view to understanding existing gaps, opportunities & future priorities. The team identified the need to develop a community-based programme that would deliver a targeted arts & culture-led intervention for people experiencing mental health challenges with the aim of; providing people with the tools needed for better mental health to support the preventative agenda whilst reducing the need for health and social care interventions.
The Approach
Taith ran from Sept 2023 - Feb 2025 and was managed by the Creu Conwy team. A lead artist was commissioned through an open call process to engage with intended beneficiaries, shaping a programme based on their input. Conwy Mind referred beneficiaries from existing groups, such as Mums Matter, My Generation & Coffee Mornings to attend consultation sessions where different arts & cultural activities were discussed. Conwy Culture Centre, Llanrwst Library & Canolfan Dewi Sant were selected in collaboration with the intended beneficiaries to ensure a broader reach across the county and accessibility for all. Taith offered 9 blocks of visual art workshops plus 2 visits to Caerdroia with Golygfa Gwydyr & Gwydir Castle. The lead artist also co-developed a creative wellbeing resource and led familiarisation sessions for community organisations / care workers, encouraging its use with service users. Outputs:
Artists -8
Workshops - 28
Cultural visits - 2
Celebration event - 1
Individual participants - 34
Participants across all workshops - 211
Intro to Arts in Health training - 10
Mental Health First Aid training - 7
Creative Resource - 1
Resource familiarisation attendance-55
Budget: £31,267: Covered - artists fees, consultation, venue hire, additional 1:1 support, cultural visits, resource pack/familiarisation sessions, artists training & evaluation.
The Impact
An independent consultant was commissioned to undertake a social impact evaluation of Taith. This report will allow us to share our learning with others. The evaluator conducted questionnaires/interviews and used the Most Significant Change Technique. The results showed that 93% of participants reported an improvement in their wellbeing after taking part in Taith. Participants reported the following: -Social-Taking part in creative activities with the support of artists / support workers helped participants create close relationships with one another and engage socially with people experiencing similar issues. -Wellbeing-Regular attendance at workshops led to a reduced sense of isolation and loneliness in individuals. Completing creative tasks in the workshops allowed participants to be more mindful & increase their confidence, feeling valued as individuals in a safe and supportive environment helped promote positive mental health. -Knowledge/Skills-Learning new art forms provided different accessible mediums of self- expression. Re-igniting a sense of exploration, growth, purpose & hope. -Reciprocity-Some participants wanted to share what they had learnt with others in the community, whilst others wanted to give something back through fundraising & volunteering.
Lessons Learned
-The relationships forged among participants, artists (Inc Lead Artist) & Mind support worker created a strong connection and sense of community. -Some participants appeared hesitant to share any negative feedback highlighting the need to create a safer space for collecting honest feedback. -Expand referrals to include other partners, such as Conwy Mental Wellness Team to support a broader range of participants. -In future it would be beneficial to conduct a 6-month review after an extended period to gain further insights into the long-term effects of the project.
The Legacy
I feel so lucky I got the opportunity to join this project. I am so much more confident and happy in myself, I have started to feel more like my old self again. I’ve made so many new friends during these workshops. Some of us socialise outside of the workshops and meet for coffee, we text to check on each other and sometimes we go walking together. It’s so nice to have friends who understand what I am going through. I don’t know where I’d be without this experience on Taith. I am so thankful.
We will use the learning from the Taith pilot to further develop our work in this field. We are looking forward to partnering on a forthcoming Mental Wellbeing project – An umbrella against the rain – a partnership between Besti Cadwaladr University Health Board, Denbighshire Leisure Ltd and Creu Conwy (Conwy County Borough Council).
Website and Social Media Links
We are excited to launch a new resource pack that has been developed to support people’s mental wellness through creative activities. Designed as a practical toolkit to guide and inspire creativity for wellbeing through a series of prompts and accessible activities for use by individuals or within group settings.
Contact Details
Sian Young - Wellbeing Officer: Arts & Culture (Conwy County Borough Council) Email - art@conwy.gov.uk
Tags: Mental health, Wellbeing, Arts in Health, Visual art, Craft, Conwy Mind, Libraries, Conwy Culture Centre, Mental Wellness, Conwy, Community, Creative Practitioners, Creative Freelancers, Creative Resource, Better Mental Health.
