Diversity, Culture, and Mental Health

Diverse Populations and Mental Health

July is the American Psychiatric Association’s Diversity Mental Health Month, a time to appreciate the diversity among us and to focus on the unique mental health issues of diverse populations and efforts to reduce mental health disparities.  It’s clear we live in an increasingly diverse society, but how does that diversity relate to mental health and receiving quality mental health services?



Cultural background, including race/ethnicity and other aspects, can greatly influence how we think and feel about mental health and illness, how we experience symptoms, how we communicate about mental illness, and how and where we seek help.  Some people may be reluctant to talk about mental health concerns out of fear or shame, some people may seek help from faith leaders, while others may turn to a family doctor or a mental health professional.  (See the infographic from APA:  Mental Health and Diverse Populations.)

Extensive research tells us that ethnic and racial disparities in mental health care exist. A new report from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that among adults with mental illness, whites, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and adults reporting two or more races reported higher mental health service use than black, Asian, and Hispanic adults. (See chart.)

Being aware of differences in the use of mental health services among different ethnic/racial population groups is critical for mental health professionals. That is part of what Diversity Mental Health Month is about – increasing understanding among psychiatrists about the influences of cultural diversity in their practices.



The SAMHSA report also looked at why people don’t use mental health services.  Adults across all racial/ethnic groups cited the same reason most frequently for not using mental health services:  the cost of services cost or lack of insurance.  Other reasons included:  low perceived need; stigma; and structural barriers. Concern about whether mental health services would help was the least cited reason by all racial/ethnic groups.


The top barrier to care, cost, may at least be partly addressed as more people gain access to mental health care with the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Act. Many organizations, including the APA, are working to improve cultural sensitivity and to reduce the stigma of mental health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations.


By Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Director

APA Division of Diversity and Health Equity



This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.

...IDEAS WORTH FIGHTING FOR

CALL OUT TO NURSES & PERFORMERS
I am interested to hear from nurses and clinical staff who may have worked with artists, performers and actors to explore how they work with patients around the complex daily interactions. Ultimately how communication might be improved through the arts. I have some visitors from a Portuguese nursing/education context coming to the Manchester School of Art around September 8th/9th/10th and want to workshop some ideas with them to explore new possibilities in nursing education. Please email artsforhealth@aol.com if this resonates, or you might like to be involved. As with all North West Arts & Health Networking events, it’s free, so I can’t offer hard cash - but together, we can try to change things.

FAST-FOOD SUICIDE VESTS

Artist Warwick Thornton shares his startling images of Indigenous children in 'fast-food suicide vests' at the Anna Schwartz Gallery. Here’s an extract about the show, The Future is Unforgiving. "An Aboriginal boy named Sterling looks down, clutching his chest, which is bare except for the suicide vest of McDonald’s take-away containers crudely strapped to it."

"His burden is clear; the fast food he consumes has rendered him a ticking time-bomb for disease, and the expression on his face indicates it is a future he believes is inevitable.” In her accompanying text for the exhibition, the chair of Indigenous studies at the University of Melbourne, Professor Marcia Langton, discusses how the potential of children has been lost. For children like Sterling, his “socialisation is bereft of traditions such as hunting and bereft of the vast knowledge of his traditional estate, environments, fauna and flora, his rightful patrimony”. See images from this important small show by clicking on either image of Sterling.

MADE in Manchester 
MADE, a multimedia arts exhibition featuring the work of over 60 learning disabled visual artists, which explores the theme of ‘the natural versus the manufactured’, is opening at the People’s History Museum on the 25th July. Over the last 12 months artists with learning disabilities have worked together with the Venture Arts team to produce the work for the MADE exhibition from their studio in Hulme, Manchester. Over 100 pieces of new and vibrant work have been created in preparation for the exhibition using a range of artistic media including drawing, painting, animation, printmaking, art as environment, 3D sculpture, illustration, photography, ceramics and textiles.

The artists involved in the project chose themes of the natural versus the manufactured in order to explore, through their art, the changing environments around them. Amanda Sutton, Venture Arts manager added: “In an ever changing world the views and perspectives of artists with a learning disability are essential to helping us all understand how we look at and live in a modern Manchester. As well as what our role is within the modern Manchester of today." Josh Butt, Curatorial Assistant, People’s History Museum: “Since the industrial revolution there has always been conflict between the rise industry and the protection of nature. MADE will bring both a contemporary and local perspective to this clash, well suited to museum as the home of ‘ideas worth fighting for’.” The ‘MADE’ exhibition can be seen at The Engine Hall, People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3ER. From the 25th July – 18th October 2015. With a special launch event on the 30th July, which will include a live-streamed broadcast over social media. Admission is free.

Grants to Help New, Innovative Visual Arts Projects 
The Elephant Trust has announced that the next deadline for applications is the 19th October 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 now being 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. Click on the tigers eye for more details.

City Health Care Partnership Foundation Small Grants Programme

The City Health Care Partnership Foundation has announced that the next deadline for its small grant programme is the 1st September 2015. The programme provides grants or donations of up to £1,000 to local voluntary and community organisations, schools and/or other not-for-profit organisations to carry out activities, projects or one-off events that contribute towards the health and wellbeing of people throughout the UK. To be eligible, groups and organisations needs to have been in existence for at least one year, have an annual income of less than £30,000 and work for the benefit of the local community in which CHCP CIC operates. http://chcpfoundation.chcpcic.org.uk/pages/small-grants 
                                .  

Marijuana: Legal Doesn’t Mean Safe

Twenty-three
states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing some form of marijuana
use, and recreational use of marijuana is legal in four states and D.C.

Does
this growing trend to legalize marijuana mean we don’t need to worry about it?  About
one in 10 people who try marijuana will become addicted to it which means that
they most likely will use it in increasing quantities, develop tolerance (less
effect from it as time goes on), will have withdrawal symptoms if they try to
stop, and will find that the marijuana use is causing them to neglect other
important areas of their life like work, relationships and leisure
activities. 

Even
occasional use of marijuana can have negative effects.  hen someone has marijuana in his/her system,
short term memory is impaired, reflexes are impaired and judgment is
impaired.  These impairments can last 24
hours or longer after the use of the marijuana so it is certainly not safe to
drive after using marijuana. Most people will not be able to perform other
demanding tasks (work-related activities, childcare) at the level they are
accustomed to after using marijuana. 

All the
evidence that we now have indicates that marijuana is possibly permanently damaging
to the developing adolescent brain. All
children should be strongly discouraged from using it at all until they are at
least 21 years of age. If marijuana is
smoked there are also potential physical health risks, such as damage to the
lungs or cardiovascular system.

For more information, see American Psychiatric Association’s  Resource
Document on Marijuana as Medicine.

By Andrew Saxon, MD

Professor and Director, Addiction
Psychiatry Residency Program

University of Washington

Director, Center of
Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education

VA Puget Sound Health
Care System

Seattle, WA

Transgender: A Diverse Group of Individuals

With the recent spotlight on people who identify as transgender, it’s important to keep in mind that transgender people are as diverse as the general population and express themselves in a number of ways.



On a very basic level, a transgender person is born as male or female, but identifies as either the opposite gender, both genders, or no gender at all.  Some who are labeled as transgender may also decide not to even use that term. There is plenty of evidence that transgender people have existed as long as there has been a concept of male and female. Only recently have they received enough support from society to express themselves in a more open way.  This new recognition and support has opened the door for transgender people to pursue life in a body that feels on the outside the way they have always felt inside.



People who identify as transgender usually start to notice their differences early in life. However people can identify and come to understand themselves to be transgender at any point during their life.  Along the lines of discovering one’s sexual orientation, there are no clear “rules,” and identifying as a transgender individual is a very personal and unique process.  This means that those who identify as transgender may decide to dress as the opposite gender, take hormones to change their bodies, and even have surgical procedures to change their appearance to fit how they feel on the inside. There are also many transgender people who decide that these options are not right for them and express themselves in other ways.



Because society has traditionally been unaccepting to those who identify as transgender, they are at higher risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and even suicide. Symptoms can generally improve once the person is in a more supportive and accepting environment. Being supportive can be as simple as using the person’s preferred name and pronoun. Traditionally, even this level of support has not been reached in the health care industry because lack of education and training. It’s important that health care providers become more educated about this diverse group of individuals so that all transgender people can receive appropriate health care for their minds and bodies.



For more information on the historical and psychological evolution of transgender Individuals, please see Association for Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP).

More information and medical guidelines can be found at World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), www.wpath.org/



By Eric Yarbrough, M.D.

President, Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists

Director of Psychiatric Services, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center

New York City

This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting
diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.

...℞

So - the October 7th date is creeping up on us and ideas are forming for what it might be. I’ll be asking for expressions of interest to share your practice, research and thinking over the next few weeks, but keep that date free. The room is booked and hey - who knows - I may even get some refreshments laid on! More will follow each week now.

This week I have been hunkered down in the Nertherlands and Dublin with recovery communities exploring what the Recoverist Manifesto means to them and how they might influence the way this work develops as part of their civil rights agenda. Thank you to the brilliant men of the Coolmine Therapeutic Community and to the free thinkers of Novadic Kentron - and of course Portraits of Recovery who through the Typecast project, made these workshops possible. Great that Ireland’s Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar opened the Dublin Typecast Exhibition, and you can read his speech here.

For any activists in recovery from substance misuse who’d like a free place at the UK Recovery Federation event in Manchester, get in touch. For anyone wanting to know more about Typecast and the 5 countries that have played a part in this work, there’s a free event in Stafford on 31st July. Find out more about it by clicking here.

Arts & Health Australia

The peak organisation for arts, health and wellbeing in Australasia - Arts and Health Australia - is organising 2 major calender events this year. Between the 25th and 27th August they are holding Celebrate Creative Aging Sydney at the Sydney Opera House with Anne Davis Basting headlining the event. Many of you in the North West will remember Anne giving her brilliant evening event here in Manchester in July 2012. Author of the seminal work on the arts and dementia - Forget Memory - Basting will share her recent research and practice. In November the 7th Art of Good Health and Wellbeing, International Arts and Health Conference will take place at the Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. A million miles from the North West perhaps, but this annual calender event for all things arts and health is always exhilarating and gives you the opportunity to meet diverse kindred spirits from the field from across the globe.



Funding to Widen Access to the Arts 

The Paul Hamlyn Fund has grants available for not-for-profit organisations, of any size, working anywhere in the UK, to test, implement and develop ambitious plans to widen access to and deepen participation in the arts. Priority will be given to projects working in areas of social and economic deprivation outside of London. Two types of grant are available to support work at different stages of development. The Access and participation ‘explore and test' grants provide funding for up to two years to help test new approaches or gather evidence for the first time about approaches that have been used before.

The deadline for application is 15th September 2015. The Access and participation ‘more and better' grants provide longer, larger grants to help increase the impact and effectiveness of work which has already shown promise or positive impact. The deadline for applications is 1st November 2015. Read more at

http://www.phf.org.uk/funds/access-and-participation-fund/

Funding for Projects that Promote Healthy Hearts

Heart Research UK has announced that its Health Hearts Grants Programme will re-open for applications in July 2015. Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Grants support innovative projects designed to promote heart health and to prevent or reduce the risks of heart disease in specific groups or communities. Grants of up to £5,000 and £10,000 are available to community groups, voluntary organisations and researchers who are spreading the healthy heart message. The closing date for applications will be the 31st August 2015. Read more by clicking on the lovely old tree above. 

PatchWork… 
...are running art sessions for individuals with long term mental health problems and people affected by bereavement, stress and or trauma. Sessions in Didsbury at the Nazarene College are shortly taking place, please click on the poster above for more details.

The Kiss and Other Movements
Late news communing in as I write the blog - two interesting articles in the paper today: one on Dementia and Art, the other on the fine art of kissing! Depending on your preference  click on either the William Utermohlen image above or the kiss below.

                                     .  

Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing global crimes according to the United Nations. No country is immune to this modern-day slavery. According to one estimate, some 15,000 people are trafficked each year in the U.S. for either forced labor or sexual exploitation. Though governments across the world have declared slavery illegal, more than 20 million people worldwide are victims of forced labor. Human trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income, second only to drug trafficking. This inhumane business cuts across gender, age and ethnicity.


A number of factors—poverty, child abuse, adverse social conditions, gender inequality—make people susceptible to trafficking. Children and youth are among the most vulnerable. Long and short-term physical and mental torture endured by victims leads to many health consequences. Physical health consequences can include traumatic brain injuries and other physical injuries, gastrointestinal problems, infectious diseases, poor nutrition, and reproductive health problems. Psychological consequences can include shame, grief, fear, distrust, self-blame and self-hatred, drug and alcohol addiction, suicide, suicidal thoughts, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


Though this business operates in our communities, we don’t see these victims in day-to-day life as they are often kept behind locked doors. However, there are things we can do to fight human trafficking—educate ourselves, spread the word, become involved with groups fighting human trafficking and, take a closer look in our communities. With little knowledge about the human trafficking indicators and few follow-up questions, one can identify incidences of victimization and report them to the relevant authorities. Below is a list of indicators and questions from the U.S. Department of State which may help spot a victim.


Human Trafficking Indicators

   • Living with employer

   • Poor living conditions

   • Multiple people in cramped space

   • Inability to speak to individual alone

   • Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed

   • Employer is holding identity documents

   • Signs of physical abuse

   • Submissive or fearful

   • Unpaid or paid very little

   • Under 18 and in prostitution


Questions to Ask


Assuming you have the opportunity to speak with a potential victim privately and without jeopardizing the victim’s safety because the trafficker is watching, here are some sample questions to ask to follow up on concerns:

• Can you leave your job if you want to?

• Can you come and go as you please?

• Have you been hurt or threatened if you tried to leave?

• Has your family been threatened?

• Do you live with your employer?

• Where do you sleep and eat?

• Are you in debt to your employer?

• Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?


For more information, visit Stop the Traffik, a global movement of activists working to stop human trafficking.





By

Sejal Petal, Sr. Program Coordinator, and

Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Director

APA Division of Diversity and Health Equity



This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.

Stigma: Changing the Conversation and Changing Lives

Renee Binder, MD
APA President

I was reminded recently of the death of an acquaintance who was at the top of her career when she died suddenly after complications from surgery, according to her obituary. I later learned that she had died from suicide, possibly in response to her struggle with chronic pain and resulting depression. 


Stigma serves as a barrier to seeking treatment often because of fears of discrimination. A few years ago, a patient requested that I not keep any records and wanted to pay me in cash. He was concerned that if his psychiatric records were ever discovered, his career could be negatively impacted. Were this man’s concerns legitimate? In a more public incident Sen. Tom Eagleton was forced to withdraw as a candidate for vice president in 1972 after it became public that he had suffered from depression and undergone ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). 


According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of stigma is a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people has about something; it is a mark of shame or discredit. 


How can we begin to address mental health stigma? Here are several ideas: We need courageous spokespersons who are willing to come forward and talk about mental health issues that they or their families are experiencing. Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy is one such champion. He has openly discussed his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse and how treatment has helped him lead a productive and rewarding life.

We can learn from the LGBT community and their struggles with stigma and negative stereotypes. They have taught us that “coming out” by public figures and celebrities can decrease stigma.




Another way of combating stigma is for my fellow mental health professions, psychiatrists and others, to take responsibility for examining the language that is used by the media and in our society. Words such as “lunatic,” “crazy person,” or “maniac” convey images of people who are out of control and dangerous rather than people who are experiencing a mental illness and deserve our compassion and support in getting effective treatments. 


Mental health professionals and others can take an active role in drawing attention to language and advocating for more appropriate, compassionate and less stigmatizing language. Mental health care is an essential part of health care. Almost everyone will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in his or her lifetime.. But for people to be willing to access the mental health care they need, we have to continue the fight against stigma.


If we are successful in addressing stigma, and we must be, then not only will we change the conversation, we will also change people’s lives and change the culture. We will finally reach the point where all of us can openly talk about someone’s death by suicide and encourage people with mental health problems to seek the help they need without fear of judgment or harmful repercussions.


By Renée Binder, M.D., APA President 

…hello again

Wonderful to share the Recoverist Manifesto in Tallinn with new faces and old friends at the MAPSI conference. Thank you compadres.

Interesting back home, to see that it’s being reported in the UK, that jobs in the arts are growing at a higher rate than in any other area of the creative industries, but new figures from the DCMS lay bare the scale of the diversity problem. Click on the Linnahall, former Lenin Palace of Sports and Culture for more DCMS detail.

The DCMS also tell us that the rise in the value of exports by arts organisations also far outstripped any other area of the creative industries. £704m of music, performing and visual arts services were exported in 2013, a 146% increase on 2009. But is our understanding of cultural value just about the CASH? What about the oblique, the immeasurable and the profound? I had the pleasure to hear Dr Eleanora Belfiore speak last week. She pointedly discussed the obfuscation of politicians who hide behind the cult of measurement, and illustrated some of the ways we understand cultural successes through the profiteering of the production company behind My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding - a ‘documentary’ that whilst bringing in the big cash and franchising its 'product' globally, does nothing for travellers and gypsies other than perpetuate inequalities, stereotypes and stigma, whilst neatly neglecting to pay any of the participants to take part in its mockery. Good to hear about the counter blasting Our Big Real Gypsy Lives. Brilliant, Belfiore!

We’ve all been impressed by the groundswell of political engagement in Scotland, and not in the slightest bit surprised by their wholesale rejection of the political status quo, but let’s also hear it for Wales too - a country that wants to put the arts at the heart of the curriculum! Arts Professional reports that: ‘the expressive arts will be one of six areas of learning and experience that will take the place of traditional subjects as Wales approves a radical overhaul of its curriculum for primary and secondary schools.’

‘Expressive arts will be one of six ‘areas of learning and experience’ that the Welsh national curriculum for ages 3 to 16 will adopt in place of traditional subjects. The other areas are: health and wellbeing; humanities; languages, literacy and communication; mathematics and numeracy; and science and technology. Success will be measured against four key ‘purposes’ of education: supporting young people to become ambitious, capable learners; enterprising, creative contributors; ethical, informed citizens; and healthy, confident individuals.’

So now I don’t just want to be a Scot, but I’d like dual citizenship with Wales too!

Still, we always have our dear old government, where Education Security, the turgid Nicky Morgan, has warned young people that choosing to study arts subjects at school could “hold them back for the rest of their lives”. Speaking at the launch of a campaign to promote science, technology, engineering and maths – the STEM subjects – Morgan said the 'idea that choosing arts or humanities subjects can keep pupils’ career choices open “couldn’t be further from the truth”.

(Let’s not forget that true-blue Morgan, was dubbed the "minister for straight women" when she voted against the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2013, argued that marriage could only be between a man and a woman. Yet, she went on to be the governments Minister for Women and Equalities. You could’t make it up!)

She continues: “But if you wanted to do something different, or even if you didn’t know what you wanted to do…then the arts and humanities were what you chose. Because they were useful – we were told ­– for all kinds of jobs. Of course now we know that couldn’t be further from the truth, that the subjects that keep young people’s options open and unlock doors to all sorts of careers are the STEM subjects.”

The Stage usefully share this HERE, and more than that, they let us know that their recent poll indicated that more than three-quarters of online respondents believe arts subjects should be compulsory at GCSE. 1,268 people over a period of one week took part in the poll, with 77.3% – 981 people – in favour and less than a quarter – 22.6% – said the arts should not be compulsory. The survey was conducted after the government unveiled plans to exclude the arts from compulsory GCSEs.

Hey Ho!

Artists in Residence Grants

The Levehulme Trust is offering grants of up to £15,000 to UK universities and museums to foster a new creative collaboration with an artist (visual artists, creative writers, musicians, poets) working in a discipline outside the institution's usual curriculum. Artists may not apply directly - all applications must be made by the host institution. There must be a distinct contrast between the artist and host department's expertise (for example, a poet being hosted by a physics department, a composer by a geography department). The residency must be a newly constituted collaboration between artist and hosts.

The grants provide a stipend of up to £12,500 for the artist and consumable costs, such as artist's materials, of up to £2500. A typical residency would be for ten months based on the artist being present at the host institution for two days per week. The deadline for applications is 4pm on the 10th September 2015. Read more by clicking on the random image below.
  

Blackpool Council: Arts & Health Development Officer 
Maternity cover
Location: Central Library, Queen St Blackpool, FY1 1PX
Salary: £22,937 to £26,293 pro rata based on hours worked (Grade: F, part time) 
Working Hours: 22 hours per week over 3 days, maternity cover until 31st March 2016.
Contract Type: Temporary
Closing date: 22/07/2015 23:59
The Arts and Health Development Officer is responsible for initiating, planning and managing the delivery of the Arts for Health Programme and is part of the Council’s Arts Service. The programme is targeted at people with mild to moderate mental health problems, and aims to improve wellbeing, by offering high quality creative workshops that are stimulating and supportive. The effective management and supervision of freelance sessional artists is crucial to the smooth running of the programme and the participant`s experience of Arts for Health.

The post holder will work closely with key delivery partners, referrers and public health commissioners to develop and promote the programme. An important part of the role is to manage the collation and monitoring of the evaluation information to evidence the effectiveness of the service and the impact of creativity on wellbeing. To apply, click on the plea for more poetry below.

                                                                                                                           .  

Know Your Rights: Fair Insurance Coverage for Mental Health

Federal
law is clear that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people
seeking care for mental illness or addiction. But how do you know if your insurance
company is not complying with the law? What can you do if you suspect a
violation?

The
American Psychiatric Association (APA) created a tool to help answer these
questions. The poster titled, “Fair Insurance Coverage: It’s the Law”
(Spanish-language version), clearly and
simply explains the law and the steps to take if you suspect a violation.

The
poster is intended to help enforce federal law and end discrimination.  Print it out and share the link (www.psychiatry.org/parity).

By
understanding your rights and taking action you can help ensure fair coverage
for yourself and your family, and you can help others by holding insurance
companies accountable.

What Federal Law Requires

The Mental Health
Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires any group health plan that covers more
than 50 employees and offers mental health and/or substance use disorders
coverage to provide that coverage with no greater financial requirements (such
as co-pays, deductibles, annual or life-time dollar limits) or treatment
limitations than the requirements the plan applies to medical / surgical
benefits. 

Also,
under the Affordable Care Act, new individual and small group plans in and
outside of the mandated health
insurance exchanges are required to offer mental and substance use
disorder coverage similar to medical/surgical benefits.

In addition to federal law, 49 states
and D.C. currently have laws relating to insurance coverage for mental health
and substance use.  More information,
including a summary table of state laws, is available from the National Conference of State Legislators.

By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association

...elada Eestis

First things first - I’ve been working with people involved in the field of memory loss this last two weeks. Some are part of Dementia & Imagination and others inhabit similar places. I am quite staggered by your ideas and vision. From the O.T’s, to the students - the artists, to the researchers - you are inspiring. Thank you. The very short film above, is something I created for a workshop, that I hope says something about possibility, desires and yet again, imagination. It doesn’t matter what your label is, or even worse, your ‘prognosis’ - we all have potential - let’s explore it.

CALLING ALL FREE THINKERS of ARTS & HEALTH
Here we present our latest ramblings and ruminations following Chaos & Comfort and preceding the near magical date of the 7th October, in which we will congregate, share and debate our ever-expanding field of practice and research. To whet your appetite, here is 2020+ (above)and I am indebted to Kamila Kasperowicz for her help with this. 

But just what is this 7th October all about? Well, aside from more chaos & comfort, (which seem the key ingredients of our get-togetherness) this date offers you some grand opportunities, and I can confirm guests from Japan will be attending and presenting. From Lithuania, friends and allies at Socialiniai Meno Projektai will be sharing research and practice. More international travellers will be wending their way to the Manchester School of Art. So it will be an event to share practice and research - to ferment new ideas and relationships - to incubate our hybrid dreams and let loose into this world - our Exquisite Corpse of ideas and dreams. Keep watching.

The Recoverist Manifesto in an ‘...age of dislocation’
I am thrilled that people want to hear about this ongoing work and I have shared the Recoverist Manifesto in various locations around the UK, in Italy, Turkey, Lithuania and Australia and like some fly-in-fly-out, dayglow jacket wearing recoverist, I am sharing in the beautiful Estonia,(where I'm blogging from) Dublin and Holland all over a few days.

You’ll know by now that the manifesto developed as part of my work with people affected by substance misuse and Portraits of Recovery, and I’m pleased to say that emerging iterations of it are developing and that the UK Recovery Federation are embracing the notion of Recoverism and have asked me to share the work at their annual conference in Manchester in September. I am honoured to. In the meantime, designer of the Recoverist Manifesto, and masters student here at the Manchester School of Art, Nick Young, has responded to the work as part of his ongoing studies. Whilst the MA show isn’t until October, here’s a taste of what he’s up to. Click on Nick's work to find out more about the UK Recovery Federation's September event.

DANCE LABORATORY...
Socialiniai Meno Projektai (SMP) is one of the first organisations in Lithuania that works in the space between cultural, social and health sectors. The organisation aims to extend the availability of the arts and address issues around social exclusion. Since SMP formed in 2013, they are striving to expand wider public understanding of the importance of the arts to individual and communal health. They are implementing teaching programs, educational and creative workshops and research into the influence of the arts on health. Dance Laboratory is a new project being launched in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas for people with disabilities from the “Workshops of Light” community.You can find out more or support this specific Dance Laboratory project, by clicking on the dance image by Irutė Jarusevičiūtė below.

IMPACT: Generate and Demonstrate

Conference: 16th July, 9.30am-4pm, Manchester Metropolitan University, Hulme

Organised by Cartwheel Arts, this conference aims to explore the building, evidencing and communicating the impact of creative projects on mental wellbeing. Health professionals and Third Sector organisations will share creative solutions to generate positive mental wellbeing. Exploring tools and methods, to capture evidence and effectively communicate impact. To register and for more details, click on the image below.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation 
New UK Grants Strategy

One of the UK’s largest independent grant-making foundations has launched its new strategic plan which will run from 2015 to 2021 and increased its funding by £5 million per year. The Foundation which closed to applications last October has reopened with a new strategy which focuses on six new priorities relating to the changes it wishes to see in the UK. The Foundation's work in the UK (it also works in India) will focus on achieving the following six strategic priorities:

• Supporting imaginative people to nurture exciting ideas.
• Widening access and participation in the arts.
• Improving people's education and learning through the arts.
• Showing that the arts make a difference to people's lives.
• Supporting the development and growth of organisations investing in young people and positive change.
• Improving support for young people who migrate, and strengthen integration so that communities can live well together.

OUTSIDE IN...
...are currently looking for submissions to their next national exhibition in collaboration with Craftspace. The exhibition will focus on craft-based pieces, and the works selected from the call out will be displayed alongside work by renowned historical and contemporary ‘outsider artists.’ The exhibition will open at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester in March 2016 before touring to further venues around the UK.

As they work with artists facing barriers to the art world, they know that many of those who would like to submit work might need some extra support. To overcome this, they are holding a series of Surgery Days across the country, which consist of free one hour one-to-one sessions where the Outside In team will support artists to create an online gallery on our website and submit work to the exhibition. Please find some text below – we would be really grateful if you are able to pass this on to any artists you know, or advertise on any of your platforms.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm Friday 30 October 2015, and artists are also able to submit on their own directly through our website. More information can be found here: http://outsidein.org.uk/news_and_events?item_id0=16111 

Surgery Day sessions are one-to-one and last for an hour, and are taking place all over the UK - from Hastings to Perth, and from Cardiff to Ipswich. To find out if there's a Surgery Day near you, and for information on how to book a slot, please follow this link: http://outsidein.org.uk/news_and_events?item_id0=16154

                                                                                                             .