GUINNESS CARE AND SUPPORT HAVE #CREATIVETIMES
Why Guinness Care and Support Loves Creativity! #CreativeTimes2015
During September Guinness celebrated its second Creative Times Festival. The project culminated in a three day exhibition which took place in October 2015 at Bath’s Guildhall.
Creative Times 2015 #CreativeTimes2015, was a six month collaboration between customers, staff and local artists at a number of services in Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire and celebrated customer-centred art projects, each culminating in superb exhibitions.
The stunning works included photography, prints, mosaics, storytelling, audio-visual, fine art and willow sculptures. Customers told us how proud they were to have their work exhibited.
Comments from customers included:
- “The whole activity was exhilarating and we learned a lot about other people.”
- “I was proud of what I achieved and it was something new to me.”
- “Confident in myself to attempt different things.”
- “Energised into going out more… to be creative.”
Guinness believes that everyone should have opportunities to live fulfilled and happy lives, maintaining independence for people is at the core of our vision. The use of creative approaches in improving health is becoming widely recognised.
Creativity is one way to improve health and wellbeing including improved wellbeing, engagement and social connections. Similarly, The Guardian has published a number of articles on the powerful impact creativity has on older people. #Guardian
Our initial evaluation revealed the project delivered on many levels. A few key findings from customer surveys showed 49% felt healthier; 61% felt more energised; 80% felt happier; 54% reported improved skills; 49% reported improved relationships with staff; 54% reported improved relationships with other customers and 85% would take part again.
As hoped, the project is generating a rich tapestry of legacies. . One such organisation is Superact (#Superact), an Exeter based charity which develops innovative projects to improve health and wellbeing. Superact is now taking part in something called the ‘Handmade Wellbeing Project’, a two year European wide initiative lead by the University of Helsinki.
Consequently, Superact artists have recently connected with Guinness Care and Support customers in Devon with a view to delivering ‘handmade’ art sessions commencing in February through to March and April.
It’s great to see Creative Times dovetailing into such a significant project and returning full circle to benefit our service users, beautifully illustrating how creativity propagates itself, for the benefit of all involved.
If you’d like to find out more, visit http://www.guinnesspartnership.com/care-and-support/community-news/creative-times-2015
or contact Helen Webb, Customer and Community Engagement Manager, on helen.webb@guinness.org.uk
Connect with on us Twitter @GuinnessCare
Superact: www.superact.org.uk
@superact_uk
About Guinness Care and Support
Guinness Care and Support is a nationwide partner within The Guinness Partnership. We’re a values-led organisation with over 10,000 customers served by 1000 staff, ranging from the North East to the South Coast, including a range of Care at Home, Extra Care and Assistive Technology services in Bristol, Devon, Cornwall, Hampshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset.