Arts on prescription project to be national case study
IN 2021, the Corn Exchange Newbury launched Links to Thrive, an Arts on Prescription programme focussed on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable people across West Berkshire through active, free participation in the creative arts.
With thanks to funding from Surviving to Thriving, last autumn, a pilot programme focused on supporting vulnerable people in the district, including those whose mental health had suffered due to the impacts of Covid-19, began.
Since then, activity has taken place across West Berkshire, successfully piloting a district-wide approach whereby adults of all ages can be referred to the programme through social prescription, community groups and hostels and via selfreferral.
Over spring and summer this year, Links to Thrive had 161 referrals, with 851 attendances across a series of 11 creative arts courses, including painting, singing and journaling. Now approaching the start of the programme’s third term, the Corn Exchange Learning and Participation team report that Links to Thrive is being presented as a case study in the National Academy for Social Prescribing.
The next Links to Thrive sessions start this month and include Art for Wellbeing: Create With Clay at West Berkshire Museum, during which participants will explore some of West Berkshire’s own historic artefacts as a starting point for creating art with clay; and Singing for Recovery at the Learning Centre, Hogan Music, which will see the
use of vocal warm ups, breathing techniques and singing to promote relaxation.
In consultation with West Berkshire Council Public Health and Social Prescribers, these sessions are
developed to be approachable to anyone, mindful of inequalities in accessing provision. Courses are delivered in venues local to GP surgeries, are funded and free of charge, and delivered by a range of
artists.
Find out more about Links to Thrive at www.cornexchangenew.com/ linkstothrive or by calling the Corn Exchange Newbury’s Learning and Participation team on (01635) 582666.