Participatory arts and belonging: arts or people as social medicine with older people?

1. Participatory arts and belonging: arts or people as social medicine with older people? Rebecca Lawthom, Carolyn Kagan, Rachel Swindells, Kevin Rowley, AsiyaSiddiquee Invest to Save team : Clive Parkinson, Amanda Kilroy and Charlotte Garner

2. Art participation as medicine with oP? • How does participation in arts activity impact upon older participants’ experiences of wellbeing and belonging ? • What is the relationship between engagement in arts activity in terms of arts engagement and social facilitation?

3. Connectivity and participation • Fostering new social networks and friendships (Kilroy et al 2007) • Connection with outside world for marginalised individuals (Reynolds, 2010) • Sharing experiences can decrease distress (Secker, 2007); improve social cohesion (Smith 2003) and enhance feelings of belonging (Stickley, 2010)

4. GREYING Policy landscape • Global North contexts – a greying population but not homogenous ? • Ageing possibly beset by long term conditions, poor services and latterly austerity. • Wanless Report (2004) social determinants of health; New Public Health agenda • Rising inequality – The Spirit Level (Wilkinson and Pickett) • Discourses of risk, vulnerability and loneliness

5. Colourful Arts agenda? • Wellbeing agenda writ large – closer alliance with arts • Human flourishing • Recognition that art for arts sake, arts participation for leisure and arts participation for health may be different (National Endowment for Arts, 2007) • Settings in which art is found vary – acute medicine through to public health and community contexts- but all can be transformative • Belief that the arts can challenger thinking and and a vehicle for health, wellbeing and social change (Manifesto at artsforhealth.mmu.blogspot)

6. NEF 5 ways to well being • In 2008, UK Government’s Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Well-being identify a set of evidence-based actions to improve well-being, which individuals would be encouraged to build into their daily lives. These are: • Connect • Be Active • Take Notice • Keep Learning • Give

7. Invest to Save • The Invest to Save project expanded on an on-going partnership with Arts Council England, North West and the Department of Health, Public Health Group, North West, to better understand how the arts impact on individuals and communities across the North West region. • The overall objective of the Invest to Save: Arts in Health research project, was to evaluate and encourage development of arts based practices in a range of different settings and to understand more fully those benefits. The team also provided advocacy, networking and training opportunities around this agenda. The findings encompass both qualitative and quantitative findings, and are reported elsewhere (Parkinson, 2009; Swindells et al 2013).

8. Methods • Interviews with older participants and artists were undertaken (n= 16). They were participating in a range of creative activities such as creative writing, sculpture and poetry. • Two different settings – one sheltered housing • Rich qualitative data gathered from project interviews to specifically address the following questions: • How does participation in arts activity impact upon participant experiences of wellbeing and belonging ? • What is the relationship between engagement in arts activity in terms of arts engagement and social facilitation?

9. Invest to save • Many the time I’m asleep so it is nice to know folk and chat with them- the wardens cannot do that- they’re nice people --- well I think it’ svery nice of you to come and spend our time with old people like us’ • Because I am deaf they talk across and I don’t know what they are saying – it is like silent films……(the arts and health work) makes me feel that at least some people can have a chat with me’ (

10. Poetry and creative writing • ‘ it gets us all together and its great- we have a laugh and a talk and enjoy it – it gets you all together it does’ (88 year old participant) • ‘well talking to different ones and learning where they come from …. It brings you out a bit and makes you forget your troubles ‘ • ‘ I feel happier when I go back in rather than sitting on my own and talking to myself’

11. Involvement in art sessions is social • ‘well you don’t get so wound up because you can sit and talk to you’ ……….I am getting out of it the company and other peoples point sof views and even if it is only a chat and a cup of tea it makes you feel alive. The only other time I go out is to the blood clinic. • Without this ‘I’d go back to sitting in my flat and going to sleep’

12. Value of art activities • I value it a lot – well at the moment with us not being as fit as we might be – it is something different and we like to join in……I like joining in with everything apart from with us not being able to get out so much I’d perhaps like it if I cold get out a bit – I just enjoy being with the people that come such as yourself and Phil. ‘

13. People not art • The company, the get together- it gives us a chance to get to know each other and chat ……. The art work – well I think that is a load of rubbish myself – that’s not my scene to be honest – it has a reason’. • We come down here on a Friday and enjoy the people and enjoy what you are doing ; otherwise me and Beattie would sat upstairs or sleeping- it’s a good 2 hours spent. It can’t extend your life but it can make life more pleasant’.

14. Support /capital • “If I need some help, I ask J who do I get in contact with and she helps me out in that way… I don’t have to go running about 24/7 I can ask J to get me a contact for such a person, like a solicitor or whoever… The staff are alright; they are fantastic. I said I can go to J and ask her if such a person, if I can get in contact with such a person and it may take a day or whatever and I know I can come to her if I need anything filling in”. • ): “I like the idea its in a small group and again I like that its not late at night. It’s a more suitable time to go… It’s nice to belong to that and to be the same age group as other people. Sometimes you can go on courses and you are involved with people a lot younger than myself. It’s nice to do something with people of a similar age. We’ve got a lot more in common than you know”.

15. participation as healing • ‘ it’s nice to be with other people and I like to observe them – I call it people watching . ….. I was very depressed before I came here and I’d been through a traumatic time . So I think being here and being with the people and taking part has helped. ‘ • (artists): “… they’re very nice, yes and with us being afflicted with being deaf a little bit they have a lot of patience with us. Yes they do. And they take care of us and they’re there and we’re involved with what’s going on”. • : “I just find everybody really helpful like last week when I was doing poetry I found it very helpful that someone sat with me”.

16. Healing • ): “When I come here it’s like the group, there’s only 3 of us in the group… We sort of help one another out. That’s part and parcel of moving on… I’m also hoping to try and help out in some capacity here. It’s a bit selfish to a certain degree because I don’t want to cut all my ties. It’s like I don’t want to drift away and then me have a problem and then have nowhere to turn to…. I have asked them if it would be possible if I could sort of help out in some voluntary capacity. Obviously if I go back to work its going to be… I’m going to be restricted… if I can help out in a small way and give something back because I have gained so much out of it. I’d like somebody or other people to benefit”.

17. Participation in arts • Mediated by access and inequality • Discourses of art as related to talent • Participatory arts as empowering – or providing a space to get together (the therapeutic landscape experience) • Social capital – Putnam’s normative approach where extending connections and networks generates positive outcomes • Is capital more than an asset- what of process

18. Issues to consider • How to theorise these relationships • Changing public health and policy context • How to or can we measure belonging, wellbeing? • What might a model explore – look at the complexity