Creative Health in Neighbourhoods

This symposium will bring together people representing health and cultural practitioners and organisations with academics to explore how creative health can be an integral part of neighbourhood health services and support preventative and community-led solutions to health inequalities.

A panel discussion on ‘What makes a healthy neighbourhood and how can creative health contribute?’ will be chaired by Sally Burns, Director of Public Health for Birmingham. We will hear from Helen Billings, Head of Partnerships and Development at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Tony Cealy Creative Health Practitioner in London, and Dr Matt Pearce, Director of Public Health for Reading and West Berkshire.

Following an audience Q&A, Dr Jane Hearst, Research and Policy Manager for the NCCH, will present initial findings from the research 'deep dive' she has been doing in Birmingham as part of the Mobilising Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities research programme. Participants will contribute to the gathering of data through facilitated round table discussions on equity, diversity and inclusion in creative health; referrals and social prescribing; learning from communities and lived experience; health inequalities; network development and sustainability; measuring impact; and research.