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What a week! The Assisted Dying Bill was overturned by politicians who seem rather out of touch with public opinion. MP’s have rejected plans for a right to die in England and Wales in their first vote on the issue in almost 20 years. 118 MP’s were in favour and 330 against plans to allow some terminally ill adults to end their lives with medical supervision. Read more here and it’s worth noting that a 2015 populus poll of 5,000 people – the largest ever conducted on assisted dying – showed 82% of the public support Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill to give terminally ill, mentally competent people the legal option of assistance to die with dignity.

Saturday saw Jeremy Corbyn elected as leader of the Labour Party with a sweeping majority. Some say he can’t go on to win the general election on ‘popular’ politics. What, a politician with passion, conviction and a belief that it is inequalities that underpin much of what’s wrong in society - well I for one believe that change is possible. What’s needed now is action and yes, a democratic force to oppose the dominant elite who might at last, be under harsher scrutiny. To paraphrase his victory speech: ‘...our party is about justice, is about democracy, {…} we are working together to achieve great victories, not just electorally for Labour, but emotionally for the whole of our society to show that we don’t have to be unequal, it doesn’t have to be unfair, poverty isn’t inevitable, things can - and they will - change.”

2020+ Arts, Society & Public Health is filling up nicely and I can confirm that as well as our international guests, we’ll have artists and health practitioners focusing on the areas around mental health and around ageing and dementia. As a format the day, it seems we’ll have themed areas that focus on these issues. Much, much more next week.

£12,000 Royal Knickers Scandal

The week also saw our dear old monarch celebrate her longevity and wealth - sorry - I meant, this summer saw a pair of vintage royal knickers sold for a shed-load of cash. Unequal in privilege, unequal in size. Click on either the outsize bloomers, or our unelected head of state.

LABORATORIO RELACIONAL DE ENFERMAGEM: projeto pedagógico, dialógico e crítico
This week I have been working with colleagues from the Portuguese Red Cross Nursing School of Oliveira de Azeméis and we’ve been exploring communication between nurses and patients. Big thanks to those of you who came and shared your ideas, practice and vision - and who hosted visits. That you shared so freely, makes me proud to be associated with you. I'm very interested to talk to those of you involved in nursing, who may want to be involved in future developments in this area.

Black History Month - Greater Manchester

BHMGM is a new arts partnership network to publicise events during October 2015 hosted by galleries, museums, theatres, artist led organisations and community based groups. Click on the Chris Ofili painting above to find out more.

A FOCUS ON ARTS LEARNING FOR ADULTS CONFERENCE
1 October 2015, Novotel Hotel Cardiff
At this conference, NIACE Cymru will present an exploration of the many and varied benefits of adult participation and learning in the Arts. Improved health and well-being, increased employability, better business through creative approaches and a kinder more equal society; the effects can be life changing. With support from the Big Lottery in Wales we are delighted to focus on our own innovative Sharing Stories: Sharing Understanding Project and welcome knowledgeable and stimulating speakers including:
Vikki Heywood CBE - Chair of the recent Warwick Commission formerly Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company
Jo Broadwood - Author of research report Arts & Kindness
More details HERE.

Spirit of 2012 Leading Voices £1m Fund 
To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, the Spirit of 2012 Leading Voices programme will make a single grant of up to £1 million for a 2 - 3 year project that offers new skills in the verbal arts to young people. Projects should enable young people to explore and give voice to the attitudes and behaviours that shape their lives and the social contexts in which they live; extending their capacity to empathise with others and collaborate to produce high quality creative work. They should inspire young people to engage critically with personal, ethical, social and political issues relevant to them and their communities through the exploration, expression and representation of themes, ideas, aspirations and dilemmas. Activities should be those that develop listening, reflective and expressive communication skills and may include, but are not limited to - film-making, song-writing, story-telling, poetry and rap, drama, improvisation and debate. The deadline for submitting expression of interest is 5pm on 30th September 2015. Read more at: http://www.spiritof2012trust.org.uk/leading-voices 

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Morrison’s Foundation Charitable Grants 

Charities registered in the UK can apply for grants from the newly established Morrison’s Foundation. The Foundation is looking to award approximately £2 million a year for community projects that improve people's lives. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and there is no specific grant amount that can be applied for but applicants must demonstrate how the project will deliver public benefit, who in the community will specifically benefit and how it will bring about positive change. Applicants must also have financial information dating back to 2012 and have raised some of the funding elsewhere. The Foundation has already given out a number of grants, including one in the region of £20,000 to a project in Scotland that works on youth employment in the fishing industry, yet to be formally launched, and £5,000 for a project run by Bolton Dementia Support. Applications can be submitted at any time. Read more at: https://www.morrisonsfoundation.com

Widerstehe Doch Der Sünde

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. . . people, places and things

On Tuesday 1st September I was a guest of the UK Recovery Federation at their annual gathering here at MMU, and with a sold-out event of 250 people including activists and ‘professionals’ - my sharing of the Recoverist Manifesto could have been make or break. My harshest critics so far have certainly been people in recovery, but if I’m being entirely honest, it’s been people taking part in Manifesto sessions that have been initially reticent, only to bloom and get stuck in when they got involved in all the blasting and bombardiering that takes place in the sessions. Essentially, it’s all about nurturing our voices and moving away from passivity to proactivity - thus Recoverism was born.

The day was beautifully planned and facilitated by all those involved and my personal thanks to Alistair for inviting me and embracing the Recoverist ideals which tally so perfectly with his vision and so many people who are in recovery from substance misuse. If you think the Recoverist agenda isn’t relevant for you - that you’re not addicted to anything - you may want to look a little deeper, because one of our real concerns is simply the insecurity of contemporary life where - as Michael Billington has commented - compulsions take the place of convictions and we are all hooked on something.

So, we’re moving forward and alongside aspirations and vision captured at recent events in Ireland, Holland and the UK, whatever the next iteration of the Recoverist Manifesto will be, it’ll pack a bittersweet punch.

With addiction and recovery in mind, it’s worth noting that a new play co-produced by the National Theatre was premiered last week. I’ve not yet seen People, Places and Things by Duncan Macmillan, but judging by the reviews, it adds to the whole arts and addiction agenda perfectly. Billed as “a mesmeric trip into addiction, rehab and identity” –  “it throws up a host of perceptions about the things that drive people to desperate self-medication and about what it is in the psychology of (someone misusing) that makes the road to recovery so fraught with difficulty”. You can read an Independent review by clicking HERE.

A War Criminal's Distraction
It’s been a hellish week in terms of people escaping from war-torn Syria and no glib comments from me here. The only thing that really galls me as I consume the news in all its guises, is that Tony Blair still insists on popping up in the UK press with sage words of wisdom, particularly around the Labour leadership elections. Does the man not realise he’s having an opposite impact to the one he intends to have? Arrogant egotist. We’re still awaiting the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry and his personal involvement in what was largely seen as an illegal war - a war that is intrinsically connected to the chain of events that has led to this unfolding tragedy.

I note that whilst the UK government sent low-level representatives to the Beijing 70th anniversary celebrations of China’s 1945 victory, its massive parade of weapons (probably of mass-destruction) in Tiananmen Square featured Russian president Vladimir Putin, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the international criminal court for mass atrocities, and non other than everyone's favourite special envoy, Tony Blair. How he must have relished the sight of such a fine military display.

Interesting then that John Baron, MP, discussing the protracted delays in John Chilcot’s Iraq Inquiry, recently told the Observer: “I have no doubt that some vested interests have resisted disclosure and this has helped delay progress. Having been interviewed by Sir John as part of the inquiry, I believe he is determined to address the central issue as to whether No 10 intentionally misled the nation as to the case for war.”

A Labour Party Art Manifesto
Quoting theatre director David Lan, Jeremy Corbyn set out his manifesto for the arts this week, with dissent and democracy being at its heart: “dissent is necessary to democracy, and democratic governments should have an interest in preserving sites in which that dissent can be expressed”.

Furthermore he tore apart the narrow instrumentalist stance that dominates the econometric justification of the arts: "Under the guise of a politically motivated austerity programme, this government has savaged arts funding with projects increasingly required to justify their artistic and social contributions in the narrow, ruthlessly instrumentalist approach of the Thatcher governments."

He concluded: “A successful economy and a healthy, creative, open and vibrant democratic society depend on a flourishing creative sector,” {…} “Culture and the arts play an essential role in individual and community wellbeing. If we are to achieve our goal in government of supporting people in leading more enjoyable and fulfilling lives, funding for the arts must be central to that offer.”

Here's to a brighter future that challenges the status quo and offers real societal change.

Next months 2020+ Arts, Society and Public Health looks set to be a corker! Fresh back from the Green Man Festival, we’ve got the 3 research artists from Dementia and Imagination sharing some of their ongoing work alongside Dr Katherine Taylor and I’ve had some amazing expressions of interest in sharing from the region and further afield. I’ll share this all next week. Tickets are going fast - and please don’t get too hung up on the words ‘public health’ - if you’re from health settings you are more than welcome to attend. It’s just one of our regional events - made big! Limited tickets left HERE.

No such thing as bad publicity?

Drug suppliers to the masses and central characters in a string of financial scandals, GlaxoSmithKlien (GSK) are partnering up with The King’s Fund again to launch the 2016 GSK IMPACT Awards, which will be open for applications from UK charities until 25 September 2015. In a time of 'fiscal' restraint and 'deficit' reduction, I imagine a lot of small arts organisations are in need of a spot of cash and publicity - just exercise caution with this one! 



Arts and Health Research Post
The ludicrously named, Not so grim up North brings together three organisations in the field of health, culture and wellbeing; the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester (on behalf of Manchester Museums and Galleries Partnership), Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) and researchers at University College London (UCL). For full job details click HERE.

Funding for research & projects that address learning disabilities
The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund is a registered charity which was established to provide both research and project funding in the area of learning disability and to aid the care and relief of those affected by learning disability. The Trust consider under learning disability the conditions generally referred to as severe learning difficulties, together with autism. In this area, they consider projects concerning children or adults. Applications will only be considered from voluntary organisations which are registered charities or are associated with a registered charity. Schools and Parent Teacher Associations and Industrial & Provident Societies can also apply. Funding in the past has ranged in value from £250 to £150,000.

The next deadline for research funding is the 1st February 2016. The deadline for project funding in excess of £10,000 is the 1st December 2015. Application for project funding for £10,000 or less can be submitted at any time. Read more by clicking on the sleeping rabbits above.

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2020+ Art, Society and Public Health - Tickets Available Now

2020+ Art, Society and Public Health… 

...is now open for booking. This free event will take place in the Manchester School of Art on the 7th October with opportunities to hear from others in the field from different countries and cultures. CLICK HERE to register. If you’d like the opportunity to present or workshop ideas (15 mins max) around your practice/research send no more than 200 words explaining what you do and why you’d like to share it and send it by the end of play on Sunday 6th September to artsforhealth@aol.com

National Alliance News

Want to know more about the National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing and what it’s been up to? Read about the All Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health and Wellbeing and more, by clicking HERE.

Art & Recovery: A symposium exploring the relationship between art, addiction and recovery

13 October 2015 / 10am-12:30pm

Castlefield Gallery

Join this debate on the value of art within the addiction & recovery agenda. Speaking at the event will be Clive Parkinson, Director of Arts for Health at MMU, Social Scientist Dr Ali Roy from UCLAN, Zoe Zontou, a Lecturer in Drama at Liverpool Hope University, UKRF founding Director & recovery activist, Alistair Sinclair and founding Director & Twelve commissioner, Mark Prest from Portraits of Recovery. See more and register by clicking on the Melanie Manchot photograph below.

Ideas & Pioneers Fund opens for applications 

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is inviting applications from small constituted organisations that have unique ideas to improve the life chances and opportunities of individuals and communities in the UK. The new Ideas and Pioneers Fund, which is being delivered by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, is providing seed funding for social change. Grants of up to £30,000 are available for up to 18 months to support ideas with unusual promise that will improve the life chances and opportunities of individuals and communities in the UK. Funding is available to people working on their own; partnerships or small teams of people working independently, i.e. not as part of an organisation or association; and people working in small organisations with a constitution. Go into the woods below to find out more.

Transitions in Later Life Funding

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is accepting applications to its Transitions in Later Life Fund. The fund is for projects that enhance emotional and mental wellbeing by drawing on resilience-building approaches and showing how these can be applied in pre-retirement to equip people for other later life transitions. Organisations registered in the UK and Republic of Ireland interested in advancing mental wellbeing for people in later life can apply and preference will be given to applications that build on current knowledge, expertise and build capacity in existing projects. There will be a financial support element of around £25,000 but the focus is on providing practical support through consultancy and collaboration. The deadline for submitting a proposal is 5pm on 11th September 2015. Read more by clicking the pixels below.

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Expanding Use of Technology for Mental Health

More than half of people with mental illness are not receiving the care they need, but technology is offering those in need more ways to access mental health help.  While using technology is not new, it is rapidly changing and expanding.  A June 2015 World Health Organization report notes that 6 six percent of all mobile health apps relate to mental health.



A look at a few examples of the ways technology is improving mental health care:



Assess/ Track Symptoms

Technology is being used to help individuals and their physicians track depression symptoms. For example, one app helps monitor mental health by tracking in real time responses to depression screening questions. Many emergency rooms are now using remote access to psychiatrists to provide psychiatric services  that would not otherwise have been available.



Access to Therapy Remotely

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and other talk therapies are increasingly being provided remotely.  A recent study looking at computer and Internet based CBT found it to be a promising treatment for youth with depression and anxiety.



Connect

Technology allows people to connect to others for sharing, understanding, support and community.  For example, the Love is Louder campaign, a collaboration of The Jed Foundation, MTV and Brittany Snow, has hundreds of thousands of participants in its efforts to address issues such as bullying, discrimination, loneliness and depression. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has developed a support app, NAMIAir (Anonymous, Inspiring, and Relatable), for people looking to connect and talk about mental health. It is designed for use by individuals with mental illines and their families and allows people to share experiences and receive encouragement.







Communicate

Numerous apps are available to help people who have difficulty with communication, such as many people with autism, to express themselves.  The apps are changing the lives of many children and adults with autism.



But experts offer a word of caution when considering using technology to aid in mental health. One recent review of smartphone uses for mental health concluded that “mobile apps for mental health have the potential to be effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress and possibly substance use.” However, the authors caution that few have been tested and found effective and they call for further research and possibly regulation.(1) Another group of researchers looking at smartphone apps for anxiety concluded that the apps can be useful for self-help and can complement existing treatment. However, they also cautioned that patients should be wary about security, privacy, and effectiveness.(2)





References

(1) Donker T, Petrie K, Proudfoot J, et al. Smartphones for Smarter Delivery of Mental Health Programs: A Systematic Review

(2) Chan S, Torous J, Misra S, et al. Smartphone apps for anxiety: A Review of Commercially Available Apps Using a Heuristic Review Framework. Poster presentation at Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, 2015.





By Deborah Cohen, Senior Writer, APA

Celebrating the Progress and Promise of the ADA

Twenty-five years ago, on July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA and the subsequent ADA Amendments Act, signed in 2008 by President George W. Bush, expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions.  As a result, our society is more open and accessible to people with disabilities today than it was just a generation ago.

The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, services rendered by state and local governments, places of public accommodation, transportation, and telecommunication services.

While the ADA mandates equal access to employment for people with a physical or mental impairment, two-thirds of Americans with disabilities are still unemployed or underemployed, a number that has not changed since the ADA became law. Truly, employment remains the unfulfilled promise of the ADA.



In a recent Catholic News Service article, Marian Vessels, director of the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center in Rockville, Md., suggested the need to address disabilities that may not be apparent or obvious, noting: “accommodations need to be made for people with psychiatric issues, people with PTSD, people with a variety of different learning disabilities.” Addressing these concerns is critical to expanding opportunity for those with mental or intellectual disabilities, as well as those with physical disabilities.



The Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC), a program of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), partnered with the ADA Legacy Project, the Collaborative on Faith and Disability, and the ADA National Network to celebrate the progress and recommit to the promise of the ADA. We developed worship and education resources, a proclamation for faith communities to commit to full implementation of the ADA, and hosted an interfaith worship service celebrating 25 years of the ADA, July 26 in Washington, D.C.



While the 25th anniversary of the signing of the ADA has passed, the opportunity to recommit ourselves to expanding access and opportunity for Americans with disabilities remains, whether those disabilities are apparent or not.



By Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, Director of Interfaith Engagement

American Association of People with Disabilities

Why People Don’t Get Help for Alcohol Use

Alcohol misuse is common – more than 16 million US adults (about seven percent) have alcohol use disorder. Yet many people don’t get help.  Less than one in 10 people with alcohol use disorder receiving treatment, according to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.



Many people with alcohol use disorder don’t think they need treatment, yet even among people who believe they need treatment, only 15-30 percent receive treatment.  Researchers looking into why people don’t get treatment found barriers related to beliefs and attitude the biggest obstacle.



Among people who believe they need treatment, their attitudes are the most commonly reported barriers, according to research reported  in Psychiatric Services in Advance on August 3, 2015  Financial barriers (e.g., couldn’t afford it) and structural barriers (e.g., didn’t have time, didn’t know where to go) were cited much less frequently.



The top barriers to seeking help for alcohol problems were

• I should be strong enough to handle it alone -  42%

• The problem would get better by itself - 33%

• Not serious enough to seek treatment  - 21%

• Too embarrassed to discuss it - 19%



Previous research has identified some characteristics that make if more or less likely that people will seek treatment: unmarried people are more likely to get treatment than married people and men are more likely to get treatment than women.



One ongoing problem, the researchers note, is that many doctors are still uncomfortable asking about alcohol use.



Concerned about your own drinking?  See an online assessment from NIAAA and learn more problem drinking and getting help in Rethinking Drinking. Find help with SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Locator or 24-hour toll-free Referral Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357).





By Deborah Cohen, Senior Writer, American Psychiatric Association

BUMPER SUMMER FUN & LAUGHTER EDITION

2020⁺ Art, Society & Public Health
If you are interested in sharing your work at the next big, free networking event at Manchester School of Art on the 7th October between 10:00am and 4:00pm, please email me an expression of interest in no more than 200 words outlining who you are, what you do and what you'd like to input. The day is all about sharing, exploring and developing new relationships and collaborations, whilst acknowledging we all work in a time of ‘austerity’. 

I'm looking for short and sharp input at 15 minutes maximum. Please only email this to artsforhealth@mmu.ac.uk and please note that there won't be any replies to these emails until the first week of September, and I may not be able to accommodate you all! Applications for general attendance will be open the first week of September. The event now has confirmed international input from colleagues in Finland, Japan and Lithuania and will have approximately 200 delegates.

The UK Arts and Health Research/Development Archive 
This week the work of my friend and colleague Dr Langley Brown has come to fruition. Langley has been working tirelessly with colleagues across the UK who have gathered archives over this last 30 years. The extensive Arts for Health archive, alongside other key collections across the UK, have been gathered at Manchester Metropolitan University and collectively document a representative range of approaches across the arts & health movement since the mid 70s. These archives have now been donated to the Wellcome Library, where they will be catalogued over the next two years before being opened to the public. To mark the acquisition of these collections, the Wellcome Library is to host a Witness Seminar in March 2016, and this will be immediately followed by the inaugural Mike White Memorial Lecture - Mike's archive is one of the collections currently being transferred to the Wellcome. More details about the lecture and the archive will be released as the work and planning progress. My personal thanks to Langley for this important piece of work.



Dying this Week... 
This week, as well as the passing of Cilla and the continued mourning of a celebrity lion in Africa, there were a few other deaths. 

On the 5th August a fishing boat carrying around 700 people capsized of the Libyan coast where around 200 people drowned. The International Organisation for Migration warned that the number of migrants attempting to make the crossing is much higher than in the same period last year, its director general, William Lacy Swing, comments: “It is unacceptable that in the 21st Century people fleeing from conflict, persecutions, misery and land degradation must endure such terrible experiences […] and then die on Europe’s doorstep.” 

On the 6th August we remembered Hiroshima. That’s 80,000 people killed instantly and over course of the year up to 166,000 

8th August was Dying to Know Day 
Friends and colleagues in Australia are ploughing a rich way forward in their conversations about how we die in the 21st century, through their annual Dying to Know Day, co-ordinated by the brilliant Kerrie Noonan and her team at the Groundswell Project. Here’s the lovely Death Talker, Molly Carlile on prime time TV.



Dicing with Dr Death - “From his involvement in the deaths of four real-life patients under Australia’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, to his fondness for the do-it-yourself approach, Dr Philip Nitschke takes his audience on a rip-roaring ride through his 20 years working with life’s one certainty: death.”Police have intervened to stop a potentially lethal gas being used during a controversial Edinburgh Fringe event over August, by the right-to-die campaigner known as Dr Death.Dr Philip Nitschke was told hours before he was due on stage that he could not use gas cylinders needed for a key part of the show. He had brought his updated euthanasia machine, Destiny, to Scotland, and planned to invite audience members to join him on stage and experience being “gassed” to show how “a peaceful and reliable means of death” is carried out. He was to have used cylinders containing 100 per cent nitrogen, but that was blocked.

And finally - attempting to escape whatever atrocities they’ve experienced in their own countries, people variously labelled refugees, asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are dying regularly trying to get into the UK. Whilst it's a shame it messes up our August get-aways, since February this year 12 people have been killed, 11 of them over June/July. Humans - everyone of them - children, lovers, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. 



Panic on the Streets of Whitehall...
As the great and the good of Whitehall slug it out in the Labour Leadership campaign, I’m hearing all sorts of gibberish coming from the media and those fighting for power. It’s all largely concerned with taking pot-shots at one-time outsider, Jeremy Corbyn. Now he’s vying for the top slot and gaining the support of young voters, it’s all about how inappropriate he is for the job! What happened to vision and passion in politics and what on earth has happened to Labour? Still basking in the warm glow of its faith healer, Blair, who still has to account publicly for his part in what’s largely agreed, was an illegal war. At least Corbyn wants Blair to stand trial for his "war crimes". Apparently Andy Burnham says he’s all for nationalising the railways, scrapping free schools and academies and scrapping tuition fees! Well whoopee - nothing like a tokenistic nod to the left. Let’s not forget your old government introduced tuition fees Andy. Let’s not forget too, that after putting your moniker on the Prospectus for Arts and Health, you promptly stuck your head in the sand and avoided any publicity about it.

Between Menopause and Old Age, Alternative Beauty – A Workshop 
Monday 23 to Saturday 28 November, 2015, London 
Deadline for applications Wednesday 30 September. 
What is it?The acclaimed Mexican performance artist Rocio Boliver will run a unique workshop for ten older women artists. “My workshop aims to demystify "the horror of old age", inventing my own deranged aesthetic and moral solutions for the "problem of age." I hope my mockery of this absurd contemporary reality exposes a broken society based on looks and how old age became synonymous with insult.” This practical workshop will focus on the possibilities of collaborative approaches and the ways in which working together might open up new possibilities for representations and understandings of some of the issues facing women artists, and particularly older women artists, including the ageing body, disempowerment, and invisibility.

…and to round off this light-hearted summer blog, here's some gentle relief from Philip Larkin.

Going

There is an evening coming in
Across the fields, one never seen before,
That lights no lamps.

Silken it seems at a distance, yet
When it is drawn up over the knees and breast
It brings no comfort.

Where has the tree gone, that locked
Earth to the sky? What is under my hands,
That I cannot feel?

What loads my hands down?

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