Opportunities & Events
Open call for artist Arts and Minds creative writer and theatre maker/ facilitator
Location: North Wales | Start Date: October 2025
Summary:
We are seeking an experienced artist with skills in creating writing, theatre making, and facilitation, to work with men in an adult men’s mental health unit to create a live sharing.
Content:
Summary:
Arts and Minds is a Wales-wide 3-year programme of creative activities in Health Boards focused on mental health. In North Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have been working with patients and staff in an adult men’s mental health unit. For year 3 of the project, we are utilising creative writing, script development, film, music, and design to create a live sharing as a culmination of the funded period of the project. We are seeking an experienced artist with skills in creating writing, theatre making, and facilitation, to work with the men to create a live sharing.
Project briefing:
Mental health and mental wellbeing continue to be a focus point across the Health Board and Wales, with increased referrals to mental health services experienced nationally. There is a large body of evidence around arts and mental health and arts in prisons (see Health Arts Research Wales – HARP – and National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance) that indicates the efficacy of arts activities across a range of creative forms (e.g., art, music, theatre, film, dance, fashion), for people in prison, on probation and in the community. The project is funded by The Baring Foundation and the Arts Council of Wales. Over the past two years, we have gained invaluable experience and insights through the forensic medium secure unit arts programme at Ty Llewelyn.
This has been shaped by independent evaluations, as well as feedback from staff, artists, and patients. This has included artists in residence in rap and beatboxing, animation, environmental art, photography, creative writing, graffiti art and singing. For year 3 of this initiative, we are excited to harness all that we have learned and channel it into a series of creative activities that bridge across other unit activities that fit together to form the infrastructure for a collective community live sharing at the end of year 3.
The project idea has been developed in partnership with Unit patients and staff, and with our partners, for an exciting and stimulating offer. We are seeking a creative writer and theatre maker with skills in facilitation, who can work confidently in a medium-secure mental health unit setting with patients and staff, to encourage involvement with the project and its activities, respond to patient interest and need, and to ensure high quality delivery that supports the needs of the men who are experiencing various challenges with their mental health, to deliver a live celebratory sharing as a culmination of the project.
The artist will engage patients and staff meaningfully and involve them in every aspect through a theatre-making approach - from script writing to stage production such as scenic props and design, and artistic directing - this project will allow participants to build their team working and contribute their skills, creativity, and vision and allow for a range of involvements including music, singing, visual art, production, and performance.
The artist will need to work with other creative practitioners involved with the project to cohere the experience and learning of participants. The sharing is intended to bring together learning from across the project, and celebrate the achievements of the men, raising recognition of their engagement to date, and reflecting on their experience across the project.
It is hoped that creative activities will become embedded within the setting, and so the project and showcase are key as a way of demonstrating value for the continuation of activities for the future.
Medium secure units provide effective care and treatment so reducing risk, promoting recovery and supporting patients to move through a care pathway to lower levels of security or to re-establishing themselves successfully in the community. The successful applicant will need to work in a secure environment and adhere to procedures and protocols to ensure a safe clinical environment for all.
They will need to communicate regularly with staff from the Arts in Health team, to ensure the project brief is met and that best practice is being followed, as well as members of staff from the unit for guidance as well as logistical and practical support. Activities will need to be risk assessed and agreed by unit staff in advance.
Any materials brought to site can only be done so with approval and checks in place. Whilst inside the unit, the artist will be accompanied by at least one member of staff at all times, and staff who attend alongside patients are encouraged to get involved to benefit their own wellbeing. Please note, mobile phones, keys and personal items are not permitted. Lockers are available for any personal effects. The artist will have regular contact with the Arts in Health team for any support required.
The project is being independently evaluated, and so the selected artist will be required to feed into the evaluation as part of the project.
Project aims
- Working in partnership to deliver a successful arts project in a medium secure unit
- Ensuring high quality arts engagement responding to patient’s needs and interests
- Promoting wellbeing, good health and recovery through the arts and creativity
- Improving quality of service
- Engagement with staff and patients
- Utilising participatory and community arts practice where the artwork is not therapy, but may be therapising, and supports wider determinants for health and wellbeing, rather than a particular therapy intervention
Anticipated outputs
- Engagement and developed experience of the arts through workshops for patients in a range of artforms
- Enhanced patient experience in growing confidence and opportunity, supporting their mood and health, and introducing new skills
- A live sharing to be held within the unit for invited guests, including family members and staff as a celebration of the culmination of skills and learning from the 3 years of activity
- Increasing staff confidence and knowledge of the value of the arts and creativity
- Supporting artist development through the project in looking to expand the provision for creative activities within mental health contexts and the ways in which we can encourage and support artists within this setting.
Location: Ysbyty Bryn y Neuadd, Aber Rd, Llanfairfechan LL33 0HH
Total fees/budget: The budget is for 12 days of work between January and March 2026, with preparation/ discussion from October 2025, to be agreed with the successful artist. This should include workshops, the showcase and a debriefing session.
Sessions are usually held on Fridays to accommodate clinical and other needs. Artists should provide their fees including VAT, all travel and expenses and materials, preparation and meetings/ site visits. Please note, there is a small budget available for props and design – subject to approval. Artists should provide a clear breakdown of their fees by daily rate. Please note we may require receipts as evidence of materials purchased.
Methods / approaches and requirements
We are seeking an artist with experience with creative writing, theatre making and facilitation.
The appointed artist should have experience of working with people experiencing mental health challenges, particularly experience applicable to working with patients in a secure unit setting. The artist will work closely with unit staff, the arts in health team, and other arts partners/ artists, to deliver arts/creative activities as outlined in this brief. Artists may be required to participate in evaluation, reflective practice or other training or development as advised in the project brief. Data and confidentiality The project will comply with BCUHB relevant policies and procedures.
To ensure the safety of all project participants and partners including artists, the artist may be required to agree to a data security and confidentiality agreement. For the purpose of the project, and should the artist consent, they may be asked to sign a photography or consent to video record form(s). The artist will provide quality assurance to the project team that the highest quality standards for the methods undertaken have been met, including any key deliverables. The team may occasionally ask artists to amend or explore alternative methods for discussion in relation to the remit of the project.
Risk Assessment
Artists may be asked to provide a risk assessment for any activity undertaken including materials to be used and/or may be asked to contribute to team or service risk assessment for the activity. Artists may need to adapt materials used or activities dependant on the participant group and/or location and may need to comply with local protocols (e.g., infection control, medication or other medical requirements).
Deliverables
- 12 days of work that should be tailor made to the participants, setting and requirements of the project
- Provide activity using creative writing and theatre making to develop script work previously undertaken by participants and incorporate skills from other sessions to develop and enhance the participant experience
- Provide activities that meaningfully build participant’s confidence, enhance their mood, provide opportunity to learn new skills, and develop artistic knowledge, and providing enjoyment and development in arts and creativity • Work towards a live sharing that builds upon participant’s experience with the project to date
- Encourage staff and patient engagement
- Provide timely information and updates on the activities to be undertaken to the project team and discuss any amendments
- Project timeline: An indicative timeline for the application process and a tentative project timeline, is provided below
- Application and project timeline: Milestone Date Open call out shared 06/08/25 Deadline for submitting to callout 05/09/25 at 5 pm BST
- Shortlisting and decision 08-12/09/25
- Contracting 15/09/25
- Project delivery including site visits and any required training or evaluation 01/10/25 (subject to agreement for specific date and weeks)
- Preparation/discussion from October 2025
- Workshops January-March 2026
- Showcase March 2026
- Eligibility This call is open to artists who are able to meet the project brief, deliverables, and timeline. The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this role. The ability to work in a medium-secure setting is essential for this role. Artists will be asked to provide proof of DBS status and public liability insurance
How to apply
- Please send your expression of interest to: BCU.ArtsInHealth@wales.nhs.uk by 5pm BST on 05/09/25
- You will be informed of the outcome of your submission by the date in the timeline above
- We anticipate that the project will start as indicated in the timeline above If you have any questions regarding the open call, please get in touch over email via BCU.ArtsInHealth@wales.nhs.uk BCUHB Arts in Health team will endeavour to circulate a response to these queries within 3-4 working days.
Your EOI should include:
• A brief statement on why you are interested in this opportunity (500 words max), and your initial approach
• 2 examples of relevant work in this field, you may include links to online examples
• 2 recommendations (this could be a short quote or contact details but should make clear the relationship of the recommender to you and their knowledge of your work)
• A quote on letterhead paper providing your costings -The above should be to a maximum of 4 pages in total or audio/video/ alternative equivalent Optional:
• Your CV Application assessment Your application will be assessed by the project partner team. The strength of applications will be assessed on the below criteria: The application – meeting the project brief
• How well the application answers the brief
• How well it articulates the ability to deliver all requirements and deliverables Fees / Budget
• Feasibility based on the budget submitted (if required)
• Value for money The project team:
• Ability of the artist to provide assurance on their stability and viability for the duration of the project
• Ability of the artist to demonstrate their ability to work in partnership and to work with participants experiencing a range of mental health and other health challenges that impact their mental health and wellbeing Data Confidentiality and Risk Compliance
• Ability of the artist to ensure data and confidentiality compliance
• Ability of the artist to ensure appropriate risk assessed processes
Additional guidance
The project team reserves the right, acting reasonably, to:
• Discontinue the award procedure in the absence of appropriate applications;
• Change the timetable for the procurement of the Contract, and in such circumstances BCUHB Arts in Health will notify all applicants of any change by the fastest means possible; Terminate discussions with artist that apply;
• Discontinue the procedure leading to the award of the Contract;
• Not to award any Contract at all as a result of this process Under no circumstances shall BCUHB Arts in Health incur any liability in respect of any of these actions.
No publicity regarding the project will be permitted until BCUHB Arts in Health has given express written consent to the relevant communication. No statements may be made to any part of the media regarding the nature of this application, its contents or any proposals relating to it without the prior written consent of the project partners.
• BCUHB Arts in Health will not reimburse any costs incurred by artist in connection with preparation of their applications.
• If you are unsure of the meaning of a question or anything in this invitation to tender then it is the applicant’s responsibility to ask BCUHB Arts in Health to clarify in writing via email.
• BCUHB will endeavour to circulate a response to any queries within 3-4 working days. BCUHB Arts in Health may also decline to answer a question if it deems the question to be inappropriate. If BCUHB Arts in Health is unable to answer a question, this will be communicated.
• BCUHB Arts in Health welcome artist access riders to support artists to undertake employment in line with the remit of the project and will offer relevant support and supervision as appropriate to the project.