This is not a complete list but we have put these resources together to accompany a friendly webinar we made with 100% Digital Leeds and Leeds Libraries team, which you can watch here. We have spoken with our members across arts and health to catch up on what has been working well when bringing arts and culture activities to new and existing groups, building connections and greater wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on Leeds.
In gathering these resources we reflected on the 2019 BBC Get Creative test where 50,000 people were asking about the benefits they noticed from creative activities, and how timely these were:
76% of participants used creative activities as a "distraction tool" to block out stress and anxiety,
69% used them as a "self-development tool" to build up self-esteem and inner strength,
53% used them as a "contemplation tool" to get the headspace to reflect on problems and emotions.
Though engaging in arts and culture virtually was not shown to have the same benefits as creativity in real life there were still gains noticed in this survey and it feels like we have learnt a lot about what works over the last couple of years. We invited Alice Gilmour, from Opera North and Arts Together Leeds to tell us about how different arts and culture activities have continued over the last year. We also spoke to Crossgates Good Neighbours Scheme about engaging with literature and sharing stories online.
As with our previous sessions, we found it difficult to organise this information usefully but we have used the broad categories from the World Health Organisation’s 2019 research into health and wellbeing benefits from the arts:
1. Performing arts (e.g. activities in the genre of music, dance, theatre, singing and film)
2. Visual arts, design and craft (e.g. crafts, design, painting, photography, sculpture and textiles)
3. Literature (e.g. writing, reading and attending literary festivals)
4. Culture (e.g. going to museums, galleries, art exhibitions, concerts, the theatre, community events, cultural festivals and fairs); and
5. Online, digital and electronic arts (e.g. animations, film-making and computer graphics)
We also gathered some tips on what has worked for other groups introducing arts and culture activities, which we have added at the end. Don’t forget to have a look at all the resources we collated for individuals interested in arts and culture as many of these will be of use when working as a group.
Resources to support Session 3: Using arts, culture and creative approaches with groups online for health and wellbeing
1. Performing arts
Music and singing
Case study: Touchstone BAME Dementia Service have collaborated with musical psychology students, musician - Manuka and the wider community to use music to engage their participants online. You can read a reflection on this work online from Arti Prashar, one of their creative facilitators, here.
Case study: Feel Good Factor have worked with soprano Bibi Heal from ‘Song Surgery’ singing songs based on keywords the group had chosen, with each song dedicated to a different member.
Resource: Inspired by Song Surgery and through their ONe to ONe project, Opera North will be offering community groups, care homes and others to have a song or instrumental piece performed for them live on Zoom by a member of the Chorus or Orchestra of Opera North. The one-to-ones can be booked in advance via their website from February.
Resource: You can watch live-streams eg from The Berliner Philharmoniker and Leeds Concert Season.
Activity: Alice at Arts Together Leeds suggests asking a group member to name their favourite song and the whole group listen to it before next session and discuss (make sure the suggested song is easily accessible)
Dance and movement
Case study: Your Space Leeds are continuing their Disco Tuesday sessions throughout the winter months. The focus is on fun and connection and many report that they have increased connection and wellbeing. Since it’s quite a new group the group size is quite small (between 4-7 people) but they hope to attract new members as they go along. They are also hoping to develop short films to dance along together to and for participants to create their own choreography, as the focus of a lot of the groups are that they eventually become semi-self-sustaining/co-produced.
Activity: Made with Music ask participants to find something around the house (eg something red) for a screen break.
2. Visual arts, design and craft
Case study: Carers Leeds are working with Skippko on Shutter Stories. They are working to creative briefs, the first one ‘light and dark’, taking the theme in any direction, supported by artists. The project includes online group chats to share ideas and photographs as well as outdoor photoshoots as local restrictions allow.
Resource: Mind The Gap: Free Creative Doodle Book Project. Community groups that would like to collaborate are invited to access:
-Four free online interactive activity sessions with your group with support from their Access Champion Vicky Ackroyd
-A free Doodle Book for everyone in your group
-Flexible working on-line, off-line or across the two
Interested groups should contact Deborah@mind-the-gap.org.uk. Deadline for applications: March 31st
Activity: we have been recommended the ‘Zentangle’ approach to use with beginners interested in drawing techniques for relaxing.
Resource: Do Think Share is a website with weekly creative challenges and an opportunity to share your group’s work with the world in a mini gallery.
3. Literature
Case study: Crossgates Good Neighbours Scheme and their Book club - whether you use Leeds Libraries to access ebooks and audio books for everyone or get books online like Crossgates everyone can connect over words.
Resources: explore websites with access to free books such as Project Gutenberg.
Resources: Through Leeds Libraries you can reserve books from the library free of charge by asking a member of staff to access lists of books available with 15 copies or more. To read the same eBook look for ‘Remote Reads’ on Borrowbox - these are books that can be borrowed and read by many people at the same time and are generally available as both eBook and eAudio. For help using these services call Library Enquiries during office hours: 0113 378 5005
4. Culture
Resource: Virtual Tours of Yorkshire from Stump Cross Cavern to Leeds Arena and Hyde Park Cinema, Virtual tours of the world’s best museums and galleries, Virtual tours of National Parks, Virtual walks of Roundhay Park on Youtube or via a group on Facebook.
Activity: Creating a ‘dialogue of trust’ between participants through taking turns to share objects of personal or cultural importance eg heirlooms, books, food, photographs (inspired by Rose Sinclair and her Caribbean Front Room project).
Case Study: South Leeds Live at Home have used Virtual tours of Buckingham Palace to take their members on virtual trips, the members have even got dressed up and it’s felt “like a day out!”.
5. Digital Arts
Case study: Leeds Playhouse’s Heydays project went digital, making an online exhibition.
Activity: Cinema club (consider delivering popcorn) - Neighbourhood Networks have used Netflix to stream black and white old movies on zoom! Classics like Fiddler on the Roof and Bonnie and Clyde. The groups have used the chat function to talk about the films and interact during it! With a debrief afterwards to share thoughts and have a chat. (Top tip: Ensure the Share Computer Sounds setting is enabled when sharing screen for videos on zoom). You can find information on setting up an online film club here created by Sheffield-based Cinema For All - if you would like to learn more about developing a community cinema you can join them for free as an affiliate.
Introducing arts and culture activities to your group - quick tips
Planning:
Consider calling sessions a virtual ‘coffee morning’ or ‘afternoon tea’ rather than a creative session if you want to engage a wider group of people who may not see themselves as creative.
Where possible plan for two facilitators for sessions so that one can lead the session and the other can support participants to engage and deal with technical issues.
Consider using group message services like Whatapp alongside your session. This can help people to connect whilst watching online watching films or videos, to have a conversation alongside the session to engage supporters/carers or to keep people engaged between online sessions.
Session facilitators suggest starting with very structured activities to learn to do together that can be done by following simple steps such as origami or mindful photography.
Consider reviewing tips for facilitating and speaking at online meetings so that you can maintain the attention of your group and communicate clearly. Leeds-based Empowering Women with Tech commissioned a talk on this by Viv Gostrop who helps build confidence in public speaking. You can watch from 40 minutes in here.
Warming up:
Consider starting each session the same way such as with a drink or a shared activity including warm-up exercises to get people comfortable with the online format.
Alice at Arts Together Leeds suggests 'Show your video if....' “You cover your webcam (ask people to use colourful things so you get a nice array of coloured boxes on the screen), then if i'm on, I say 'Show yourself if you like marmite' and people remove their covering if they like marmite so all the marmite lovers can nod at each other and smile, and the others can see who to avoid after breakfast. Then I nominate someone to go next and everyone covers their webcams again and waits for the next statement.” Alice suggests that the prompts are positive (not 'show yourself if you don't like...') and that people can feel free to ask not to be nominated but says that's entirely up to your group.
In your session:
You might consider sharing physical resources for online sessions such as food and delivered or downloadable materials.
Consider combining with activities outside of the online session such as going for a walk, following a recipe or reading a poem
Consider activities where people move around or engage with their senses, look around their room.
Keeping the activity length short (suggested time 30 to 60 minutes) with breaks.
Explore ways for people to connect such as by scheduling some time at the end of the session for participants to stay online and have a catch up.
At the end of your session:
Choose a word to describe the day’s session
Consider a “Show and Tell” activity for participants to share what they have been doing in the session or in between sessions and what they learned
Ask to share pictures from the session to create a collage or mini-exhibition. For example, Space2 in Leeds have using an app called PicCollage for their community photography project in East Leeds.
Consider introducing new skills and approaches, different facilitators or more creative expression as the sessions continue and the confidence of your participants grow.
Ask for help if you need it:
Many great projects we have described have been developed in partnership - don’t overlook the passions and talents of your colleagues and potential participants... some of our most enjoyable encounters with arts from piano playing care home residents to poetry performing neighbours are literally on our doorstep!
If you don’t have a facilitator you can explore working with a freelance artist or arts organisation as described in our case studies. You can also ask other organisations what they have learned from running similar projects - if you need to you can contact LAHWN by email or social media to reach out to our membership.
You can explore Funding Leeds to cover the costs of your idea or look at upcoming funding in LAHWN’s newsletters.
You can share your arts and culture activities on Leeds Inspired to help reach participants and profile your work.
If you want us to update any of this information please get in touch by email at g.montgomerie@leeds.ac.uk. If you are not already a member you can join our network at http://bit.ly/joinLAHWN.
