Resilience: How Do We Get It?

So what is resilience? We all want it, and we want to teach
it to our children. But are there only a lucky few who inherit it?

Resilience is the ability to lead a healthy life, both
physically and mentally, despite living through horrific circumstances, says
Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., chair of the Department of Psychiatry at
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. While there’s a genetic component, he
said the thinking is changing around the idea that only some people are born
with the ability to stay mentally strong in the face of war, natural disaster,
rape, terrorism, chronic poverty and other traumas.

“Humans are far more resilient in general
than we think, than we have assumed in the past,” Levounis said. “People who
have been subjected to absolutely traumatic situations very frequently come out
on other side and do quite well.”

There are some who may suffer more
after a traumatic event -- people with depression or anxiety disorders are at a
higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But PTSD is not
the opposite of resilience, Levounis explained. “PTSD doesn’t mean you are
weak. We now know that developing PTSD is associated with compassion and
imagination and creativity.”

“Staying healthy both physically and
mentally is paramount. Not only exercise and nutrition, which pretty much
everybody knows, but also sleep hygiene. Sleep is the neglected stepchild of
physical health. Keeping your mental health intact, your social life, your
sexual life, your intellectual life, and for some your spiritual life—these
build resilience,” Levounis said.

He added that parents who impart
those healthy lifestyle habits to their kids will be helping their children be
resilient, too.

By Mary Brophy Marcus, health
writer, APA

Helping Your Stressed-out Teen

School
demands, sports commitments, body changes, confusing media messages. How can
you help your kids manage life’s pressures as they hit the teen years –
especially now at the end of the school year when exams and events pile up?
Start by making sure the health basics are in place: good nutrition, solid
sleep habits, and regular exercise. And don’t underestimate your teenager's
need for downtime.By
Mary Brophy Marcus, health writer, APA

These
resources can help:

Nutrition:
The USDA
has a site for teens all about healthy eating
with snack ideas, info on vitamins, weight and nutrition trackers, and more.
There's nutrition advice for vegetarian teens and athletes, too.

Sleep:
Teenagers need 8 - 10 hours a night, according to the National Sleep
Foundation (NSF). However, almost 70% of high
school students aren't logging that much, says the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Inadequate sleep can put them at risk for accidents, mood and
behavior issues, and poor school performance. NSF shares tips like cutting out
caffeinated sodas and setting a regular sleep routine.

Exercise
and Relaxation: Physical activity helps increase
"feel-good" endorphins in the brain, according to the Mayo
Clinic. To relax, The
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
suggests practicing relaxation breathing and building a supportive circle of
friends and family to cut stress, too.

If
your tween or teen is still stressed and struggling, reach out to your child's
doctor or a mental health professional who specializes in adolescents because a
more serious health issue may be going on, such as depression or an anxiety
disorder.

By
Mary Brophy Marcus, health writer, APA

❊ the living sea of waking dreams ❊

YES:62%/NO:38% = 

humane citizenship & societal empathy

WHAT IS IT?
Thanks so much for all the email about the future direction of our network, its fluid title, content and direction. For those of you who mentioned how much you love our get-togethers here in Manchester, I am planning a free evening networking event for June/July which I’ll confirm on the blog over the next couple of weeks. It’s working title is WHAT IS IT? Look out for more details next week.

I know, I know…but it's catchy

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY
Please don’t worry if it looks like the arts will be savaged by the government in the latest round of cuts, as the dear old Bank of England is asking you, the cash-strapped public, to have ‘a say’ in whose mug-shot next appears on a £20 note. They want suggestions of artists of import, so long as they are dead and aren’t fictional! Their Hollywood matinee inspired leader, Mark Carney will make the final decision and the cash goes into circulation in 2020. So who springs to mind? If Grayson Perry had popped of the mortal coil, he/she would have been a good one - can you imagine Claire staring out at you?

Those Chapman Brothers have given us food for thought with their disgracefully ‘doctored’ bank notes and more. I’d love to see a fascist-inspired Mickey Mouse on a £20 note - although he’s universal, I guess he’s just not British enough. The there’s all those poignant postage stamps designed by Steve McQueen for Queen & Country featuring the faces of UK service personnel killed in the Iraq, but deemed inappropriate to have on our letters. I wonder if any of those soldiers were amateur artists? (note - I love the word amateur - always seen as something lesser somehow than the ‘professional’, but derived from love).

No, I’d be interested in how we can get someone less obvious than Turner or Bronte and a socially engaged artist on this money. - perhaps someone who because or despite of health issues became something great. A nice ironic twist. Let’s give it some thought eh? Terry Pratchett = writing and dementia, Iris Murdoch too. Sylvia Plath (I know she wasn’t born here) and Spike Milligan = poetry and mental health. I have a soft spot for Virgina Woolf and William Blake who between them were poetic and visionary and who had a fare share of mental distress, but it would be good to think of someone from a less privileged background. John Clare perhaps? Ah no, I’ve got my early front runner - Sarah Kane - for poetically reimagining and confronting the fragile and volatile human psyche through drama.

DYING WITHOUT DIGNITY

I wonder if you caught sight of the report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman  this week - Dying without Dignity - it filled me with some small horror. It’s a short and upsetting report based around the complaints of people’s end of life experience in the UK. I do recommend it, as well as thinking about preparing an Advanced Directive with the people you care about. If anyone from any of the Palliative Care, Hospice or Dying with Dignity organisations would like to hold a more creative event here at MMU, I would be happy to host and co-facilitate it - get in touch. On another note, but not entirely disconnected, I’m writing a book chapter that in part, takes in these themes, and if you have been involved in performance-based practice/research with older people, maybe people facing their mortality, but where your work/research has provoked/revealed very unexpected moments - please get in touch.

A Dementia and Imagination Event at MMU
On the 25th June I’ll be holding a mid-point, day-long event at MMU to explore the ongoing Dementia & Imagination research project. It’s a free event and you get lunch thrown in too! BUT - and here’s the catch - there are very limited places, and because it’s about sharing the obstacles and opportunities of research within a clinical dementia setting, it will be an active day that really needs input, commitment and expertise from artists, clinicians, researchers and planners. We want to share our practice and inform future research and direction. So, if you want to hear from our research team, from our intervention and research artists and you work in a dementia context, we’d love to hear from you. Send a 200 word (maximum) expression of interest to artsforhealth@mmu.ac.uk before Wednesday 3rd June at 10:00am. Just explain who you are and why you’d like to come. Clearly, we are looking for a good mix of people to take part, so sorry in advance that we can’t invite everyone who applies. We will open it up to the wider network and limited places on Monday 8th June. Please note - only email the address above with expressions of interest and not my personal email - thanks.

Funding for the Rehabilitation of Offenders and Ex-Offenders 
The Triangle Trust has announced that the next closing date for applications to its grants programme is noon on the 5th November 2015. During this funding round, the Trust will provides grants to not for profit organisations and charities working for the rehabilitation of offenders and ex-offenders. The Trust would like to see applicants use these grants to develop sustainable income sources, so that when the grant comes to end the applicant organisation's income will not be reduced. Grants are available for up to £40,000 or 50% of the organisation's current annual income, whichever is lowest, per year for 3 years.

The Trust also holds a separate funding round for organisations working with carers. This is due to open for applications in spring 2016. http://www.triangletrust.org.uk/apply-funding

Comic Relief UK Grants Programme 
Through its new UK Main Fund, Comic Relief will provide funding for activities that create positive social change across the UK. To be eligible for funding projects must address at least of five themes. These are:

• Supporting young people that face challenges and have limited opportunities
• Support people who face violence, abuse and exploitation
• Supports those in severe financial hardship
• Supports disadvantaged communities
• Aims to empower and give a voice to marginalised groups of people, so that they can challenge injustice and bring about positive changes for those who face discrimination and stigma.

The funding will be available to registered charities and other not for profit organisations that operate England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. For further information on the funding themes and how to apply please click on the link below. Although there is no upper limit to the level of funding available, Comic Relief expect most grants to fall between £10,000 and £40,000 (per year for up to three years). Applications can be submitted at any time. Read more at:http://www.comicrelief.com/our-grants/uk

…and finally, as post-Soviet states continue their 'conservative turn', feminist artists stand up to address gender injustice in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.Click on the Smart Mary poster above for more details. 

                                                                                                            .  

…what's in a name change?

So what’s all this eh? A change to the advertised programme? Nothing to worry about - I assure you, but this North West Arts and Health Network is having a moment or so to reboot, get its house in order, evaluate where it’s at and clean out the cupboards. There’s been something rank in the air this past few weeks - fermenting for some time - and it’s time to examine just where things are in this arts and health cyberspace.

Last week I threw out a question about the future of this blog to anyone passing by this space, and of the 3480 visits of five minutes or more last week, 38 people responded to my call for help. Ahhh 1.09% of the readers - quality not quantity! Thank you - you know who you are. Now if this were an electoral system, I’ve no idea where I’d stand - but it’s not - so when I asked for opinions on polemic, funding and the like, a staggering 98% of those who responded were crying out for opinion, passion and just a little bile, (whilst keeping a modicum of utilitarian servicing for the communities needs)! So the die is cast. The fact that 1.09% of you made the effort to even email, thrills me. Thank you. 

So with our Manifesto for Arts & Health and thoughts from the Chaos & Comfort event firmly in mind, we move forward as a free-state of like-minded people, driven by a belief that the arts offer something more than a life-enhancing elixir for the drones of aesthetic consumerism. Inequalities are endemic and set to widen, and those with the least access to the arts, are more often than not the same people trapped by poverty, marketed the cheap salt/fat/sugar mix that’s branded as food, let down by systems set up to blame and shame them, all the while being told to spend-spend-spend. 

66% of the population turned out to vote in this years elections, compared to just under 84% in the period just after the Welfare State was formed. More people than ever are confused by the electoral system and whilst the governments new cabinet has been given a blue-rinse of ethnic and gender diversity, the signs for both culture and health, look bleak. Prepare to face challenging times! Cultural commentator Dave O’Brien, offers some considered words of caution, worryingly suggesting ‘...the more culture depends on markets and philanthropy the less any democratic political agendas can be influential.’ With the enviable cuts to arts spending however, he notes, ‘arts and health will be a crucial area of work for many regional cultural organisations, based on extra funding and the belief in the power of the arts to impact on wellbeing.’

The language of philanthropy, business and entrepreneurship surrounds us and is synonymous with the market, hell-bent on reducing our work even further, pursuing evidence solely in terms of financial worth. Politicians and the free-marketeers of arts/health seem divorced from any higher vision for culture and the arts in terms of civic society, connectivity and inclusivity. In terms of the social determinants of health and cultural engagement, the next five years are critical to us. Perhaps too, we should be more nuanced in our own understanding of health? In our rush to get any funding going, to prove our worth in terms of ambiguous notions of wellbeing, we may be missing the boat? After all, our work is about society - both locally and globally - and I hope, ensuring we all live by the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Culture and the arts are only one part of that bigger agenda, but a significant part, spanning ages, contexts, peoples and places. If our work engages people in some sense of civic society and the politics of the common good, and if we can engage people creatively in a range of democratic process’s from taking to the streets, to casting their votes, then maybe by 2020 and beyond, people may be more inclined to be politically engaged and take control of the future of education, health and culture. In a recent book review, playwright David Edgar describes how culture and the arts widen our horizons, expand our perceptions, they excite, thrill and horrify us, providing us with a collective experience that “increases mutual tolerance, encourages cooperation and engenders trust”.

The election special a few weeks ago on this blog, shared some aspirations for 2020, so I’m asking an artist to draw up those thoughts from Chaos & Comfort, and present them in a way we can almost look at as a Post-Manifesto action plan for SOCIETY 2020⁺, both through its shared vision and aspiration, and through ongoing proactive, collective endeavours. In some ways this is about our dear old North West Arts & Health Network, but in others, it’s building bridges with those who make up this international community and who aspire to being a springboard for political renewal. Grounded in solidarity, surely our free-state, or republic is all about cultural and social change?

(All the jobs, grants, events and other sundry items, will be here just as expected next week and onwards…)

All images are by Peter Kennard whose work is on show at the Imperial War Museum.                      .    

◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎

THE HORROR
What do I do? Do I mention it? Do I move on and keep my head down? Stiff upper lip, and all that. Sometimes I let rip - other times I keep schtum. Perhaps - help me here - is this blog useful as something for a regional network - I know many people that get in touch are certainly not from this little island. Is it polemic and opinion you want, or simply some direction to funding, conferences and job opportunities? Let me know - your vote counts. email

Here’s Matt Carr, an independent voice from Derbyshire who neatly summarises ‘...the Horror’ of this last week.

ARTS & HEALTH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ARCHIVES
Whilst not explicitly mentioning that thing that happened this week, in other news, I can tell you that I’m thrilled that the Wellcome Trust are working with Arts for Health to take all our archival and research materials in under their roof, and over this next 5 years as part of their strategic plan, the Arts and Health repository of research and archives will be catalogued and digitised for future generations and be part of the freely accessible Wellcome Library, Special Collections. This is a fantastic move and I’m personally grateful to all of you individually and organisationally around the UK who have contributed to this. Thanks particularly to Dr Langley Brown and Dr Jennifer Haynes for your commitment and vision. Of course, as this progresses, we will share information on content and access.



Arts & Health Consultancy
There’s a cracking Arts and Health consultancy job going in Blackpool. Deadline is the 18th May and the fee is £25 - 30k. Click below for more details.  

Dementia & Imagination
I’m working with three very different artists as part of the Dementia & Imagination research project. I recently asked them to succinctly reflect on their ongoing work - here are there thoughts, respectively - Penny Klepuszewska, Carol Hanson and Jeni McConnell. You can read some more of Penny’s reflections on the Dementia & Imagination website.

- - - -

persistent repetition
not i
incorrect continuation of a response
not i
constant expression of a desire to leave
not i
is somebody there?
not i

let me know if you agree

and then what happens?

- - - -

Pasting cartoon wallpaper. Tinkering with cardboard cogs. Sitting in endless paper jams. Roll on Bank Holiday. Roll on Funny Summer...

- - - -

laughter-full rooms prick
unbalance expectation
darker places peep

- - - -

FGM
#Rites, is a powerful and provocative piece of theatre being performed at CONTACT this week, which explores the complex issues surrounding FGM, developed from testimonies from survivors and those still affected by the practice. Many of the interviewees are Manchester people. It’s a co-production with National Theatre of Scotland and Contact and is in Manchester at CONTACT from 12 – 14 May.



Grants to Help New, Innovative Visual Arts Projects 
The next deadline for funding applications to the Elephant Trust is the 15th June 2015. The Trust offers grants to artists and for new, innovative visual arts projects based in the UK. The Trust's aim is to make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when confronted by lack of funds. The Trust supports projects that develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the fine arts. Priority is given to artists and small organisations and galleries who should submit well argued, imaginative proposals for making or producing new work or exhibitions. Arts Festivals are not supported. The Trust normally awards grants of up to £2,000, but larger grants may be considered. Read more at: http://elephanttrust.org.uk/docs/intro.html 

A RECOVERIST MANIFESTO
…and last, but by no means least - a number of people have been in touch about the Recoverist Manifesto. You can access the online version of it either by clicking here, or also on the icon on the right hand side of this web page. If you just want an easy print option, click on the image below.

                                                                                                                                   

. . . - - - . . .

…all we have is now

VOTE   VOTE  VOTE
...for Nigel Barton

Oh well, since he’s fictional just cast your vote this week. Here’s a film from the most compelling documentary maker out there. This is a five minute short from 2014 from Adam Curtis. That he manages to conjoin avant-garde art and politics, is superb. If you enjoy his thinking, why not try something meatier and his recent film, 
BITTER LAKE?



A Review of the Social Impacts of Culture and Sport
The DCMS has produced two reviews of the evidence for arts impacting on health and wellbeing. The first, ‘A Review of the Social Impacts of Culture and Sport’, is a systematic literature review led by Professor Peter Taylor of Sheffield Hallam University’s Sports Industry Research Centre. The review found that: “evidence of beneficial effects of the arts extends to clinical and non-clinical populations, and physical and mental health… not only in helping to improve clinical outcomes, but also as a powerful force in re-integration into society, thereby improving the social impacts via the arts.” It goes on to assert that “The evidence base that exists is considerable.” The second report, ‘Further Analysis to Value the Health and Educational Benefits of Sport and Culture’, uses cost-benefit analysis to assess culture and sport related interventions. The report concludes that “culture and sports participation can help to generate wide-ranging social benefits and cost savings to the exchequer.”      Oh, that’s ok then!

Spring has returned. 
The Earth is like a child that knows poems. 

- Rilke

VIDEO GAMES & HEALTH
Castle is a print magazine about video games and the worlds they inhabit and affect. We want to celebrate the diversity of games while delving into the extraordinarily broad impact they have had—and will have—on our lives.

Castle’s forthcoming first issue will explore health in games. How can health function as a game mechanic? How can our health be affected by digital experiences? We will investigate the increasingly bizarre relationship between health technology and games. We plan to pore over addiction in games as well as addiction to games. While we don’t expect to find all the answers, we hope to, at the very least, unlock more questions. And in doing so, underscore the importance of games in our cultural landscape.

Castle are currently taking pitches and would love to hear from health writers and professionals. Pitch us, tell us about your studies, or just say hello. They’d really love to hear from you. Click on the banner above to email them. Tweet @Castle_Magazine

...and with an oh-so-neat segue, Dr Sarah McNicol at MMU has recently completed a research project exploring - 
The Impact of Educational Comics 
This new work involved interviews with people who either have a health condition themselves, or who have a relative with a condition to investigate their reactions to educational comics about health issues. The two questions she was interested in were:
  In what ways can educational comics provide support in dealing with feelings and attitudes towards health conditions, as well as improving understanding of factual information?
  How should educational comics be evaluated to ensure that their impact on patients’/relatives’ feelings and attitudes is considered, in addition to factual recall?       
Want to know more? Click on The Third Sex above.

Creativity, Wellbeing and the Community 
Tuesday, 19 May 2015 from 09:30 to 16:30, Huddersfield
Support to Recovery (S2R) is a Kirklees based mental health charity that works to improve mental health and wellbeing and reduce the stigma surrounding mental ill health. In recent years it has been engaged with a number of innovative and creative projects, including the Packhorse Gallery, Create Space and The Great Outdoors.https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creativity-wellbeing-and-the-community-tickets-15977039756



GET CREATIVE
Two Research Posts with Posts King’s College London
We are seeking to appoint two outstanding researchers to work on the Get Creative research project. The Get Creative (GC) campaign aims to boost creativity in the UK, as well as celebrating the millions of people already doing something artistic and creative everyday. The project will collect data and analyse key research questions investigating i) the breadth and depth of everyday arts participation and creative activity across the UK, and what ‘the arts’ mean to the British public (application); and ii) mechanisms for ‘giving permission’ to engage in arts and creative practice, exploring the reciprocal relationship between professional ‘national’ arts and arts at an amateur and local level (inspiration). The project will also evaluate how successful the GC campaign is in promoting a national conversation about the value of creativity and the arts. https://www.hirewire.co.uk/HE/1061247/MS_JobDetails.aspx?JobID=61041
   
£650,000 
Funding for Social Businesses from Big Issue Invest (England)
Early stage social businesses in England can now apply to the Big Issue Invest Corporate Social Venturing (CSV) 2015 programme. The programme is specifically tailored for early stage social businesses who often face challenges when it comes to securing finance. Applicants don't need to be trading to apply however providing proof of concept is essential. To be considered, applicants must operate in the following sectors:
  Arts and culture
  Education, employment and training
  Tackling homelessness
  Sustainable and community transport
  Health and social care
  Environment
  And/or financial inclusion.
Applicants have the opportunity to pitch for up to £50,000 investment, receive mentoring from the programmes' investment and support partners, attend professionally designed workshops and learn to how measure their social impact. The deadline for applications is 25th May 2015. Read more at: http://bigissueinvest-csv.com/challenge/ 

                   THAT'S THAT