Impact: Derbyshire Arts and Health Network Conference
Evaluation
1) What were the 3 best things for you today? In 3 words each, why?
- Breakout sessions – nicely paced, fun
- Case studies – especially High Peak
- Contributing in small groups, notes taken to feedback
- Experience – practical craft and music sessions
- Explaining possible projects
- Final panel conclusions noting skill sets
- Free and central conference
- Informative time out.
- Inspiring ideas – getting new ideas from people to set up arts and health projects, always need challenges – Derbyshire – exciting potential! X4
- Interesting and informative, good information x3
- Looking at new healthcare reforms – what comes next? Keep ear to the ground X3
- Lunch! Yummy, yummy, yummy!
- Making new contacts in order to work with in future (including health contacts for artists) x3
- Meeting some very inspiring people who are passionate about what they do
- Music workshop – learned skills I can apply to my work and life!
- Networking, meeting new contacts, meeting new and known artists and organisations, sharing, meeting others in same field (supportive, motivational, enjoyable), always useful x17
- Peter Shelton’s ‘new agenda’ – a call to move forward x2
- Project eARTh – wow – I’d love this to cover more of Derbyshire/ inspirational x4
- Realising that there is great will to do something here – improvement, change important
- Sally’s creative writing – well run, very interesting, good discussions, learned writing skills I can apply to my work and life x2
- Sharing ideas x3
- Thinking about own practice.
- Thinking! Important time to reflect.
- Variety of people/ talks/ workshops…
- Very helpful and welcoming care-taker at 7.40am
- West Midlands presentation – really useful and interesting x3
- Why Music? – interesting, inspirational
- Workshops – especially practical ones
2) What were the 3 most useful things for you today? In 3 words each, why?
- Artsderbyshire marketing information
- Awareness of collective opportunities
- Discussing – exploring wide variety of practice
- Discussion around Arts and Empowerment
- Discussion around cultural strategy
- Finding out about (positive) case studies/ projects in Derbyshire x2
- Good presentations
- Great advice and tips about twitter/ facebook (Debbie Porter’s workshop)
- Hearing about other arts projects – how they impact health and wellbeing
- Information gathering x2
- Information on interesting organisations and specific projects.
- Interactive – opportunity to experience
- Interesting, exciting and positive to find out about working in arts for health.
- Knowledge and understanding of arts and health/ wellbeing
- Learned how to access health commissioners
- Learned more about what is already going on in the area
- Lift home
- Like the feedback/ discussion sessions
- Linda’s speech (NHS)
- Networking opportunities x9
- New contacts to form new working relationships
- New ideas/ concepts/ info x3
- New ideas to discuss with manager
- Practical advice and information
- Presentations by WMAHW Network and NHS – informative, useful, inspiring
- Putting names to faces
- Seeing other projects in action – CD recording of Summer Stroll interesting to me
- Sharing of experience
- Venue – near my work!
- Workshops very stimulating x2
3) What could we have changed to make the day better?
- A bit more time between sessions maybe?
- Better quality projector?
- Feedback on the PA was annoying (high pitch feedback to start with) x2
- Get rid of powerpoint
- Having led a breakout session (and not having been to 1st conference) more info on ‘audience’ to anticipate their expectations.
- Information about training programmes
- Look at all areas of art – dance, drama…
- Lots of focus on ‘artist’ – what about health care workers who are here to learn and find ways to use art in their work to improve the wellbeing of their service users, especially with no funding?
- More brown bread for the sandwiches!
- More discussions in the round
- More hands-on sessions with discussions following, as the general discussions were dominated by strong personalities
- More health professional attendance
- More workshops, less talk x2
- My breakout ‘OPAF’ was stopped suddenly before time! Shame
- Nothing x4
- Perhaps an earlier break in morning – we got tired
- Provide presentation slides for delegates
- Shorter talks
- Showcase artists work/ skills
- Some input from those who participate in arts and health either performance, exhibition or presentation x2
4) What could we have added to make the day better?
- A contact list with everyone’s details on so we can keep in touch x4
- Cushions!
- Decaf coffee…
- Explain actual role of Arts Derbyshire (x2) – how we can work together?
- Graphic facilitation
- More practical sessions
- More quick examples of projects/ artists’ talks
- Nothing x7
- Open space technology
- Our session seemed rushed and finished very abruptly before allotted time.
- Role/ occupation on name labels
- Start by breaking down the barriers at the start of the day.
- Technician not around to help at lunchtime
5) How are you feeling, at the end of today’s conference?
- Better informed, new contacts made - happy
- Dispirited
- Empowered with knowledge to feed back.
- Enthusiastic x2
- Excited and positive
- Excited, feel more confident as to what’s happening in this area.
- Feels very good – there is a strong bank of work and it deserves more profile
- Focused. Ready to develop work.
- Good – enjoyable day – thankyou
- Good – positive – enthusiastic
- Good – really inspired and can see the difference arts/ health projects can make
- Hopeful and optimistic re: Derbyshire Arts and Health Network
- Inspired!
- Inspired but a bit overwhelmed as going home with a long list of things to do/ research!!
- Inspired. Lots to think about and apply in future.
- It’s great Helena is in post and this kind of event is happening.
- Mixed – I’m hopeful of networking opportunities but have concerns about NHS funding issues
- Positive considering the difficulties we all face.
- Really great day – so much inspiration, ideas.
- There are opportunities to be had
- Tired! Bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities. Great – thankyou.
- Tired but a bit more hopeful
- Tired but stimulated and determined!
- Uplifted, excited, intrigued
- Very good!
6) Do you have any additional thoughts or comments about anything you’ve heard or done today, for example arts in the NHS, or the development of the Derbyshire Arts and Health Network?
- Clear standards
- Continued development and formalisation of the Derbyshire Arts and Health Network very worthwhile.
- Funding/ continuity of funding by NHS
- Has inspired me! Getting contact/ network at strategic level.
- Having a strategy
- Having one portfolio – of Derbyshire arts projects, contacts, links with healthcare providers, and which is ongoing/ updated – is a way forward.
- I think asking for email comments from people attending today would be useful for
- the portfolio to influence content of culture strategy.
- I think it has all been said.
- Need to explore how to empower carers and others in health settings.
- Please keep these events coming as things are changing/ moving rapidly.
- Prove yourself – see what works – blow your own trumpet!
- Provide links on artsderbyshire to evidence articles/ research base e.g. Matarasso, White, Parkinson etc.
- The portfolio of arts projects for health professionals seems a really good idea and timely!
- We need a list of artists/ locations/ expertise/ past projects so we can include an arts element in out projects. Likewise artists need health professionals’ expertise/ location etc so we can link up.
- Would like to see some CPD opportunities and/ or best practice sharing on working towards empowerment.
Arts Derbyshire is the strategic partnership organisation for arts development
in Derbyshire; members include Derbyshire County and District Councils, professional arts organisations, and other public bodies with a remit for the arts.