Art for Health, Art for All
As Arts on Prescription (AOP) establishes a home in Alexandra Park, Project Director Tara Reddy talks to HIP’s Lucy Brown about its origins, aims and achievements.
While holistic health has been talked about for many years, the concept is still vague and it’s rare to be able to cite an example of the practice in action, particularly within the NHS. But Arts on Prescription is such a thing.
Hastings resident and project director, Tara Reddy utilised her background as an artist and Social Prescriber to create the programme in 2019 – a GP referral service that offers isolated, and often ignored members of the local area access to creative activity.
AOP created terracotta tiles with the help of local creatives, displayed now in Pocket Park Alley
Tara explains, “In 2018 I attend-ed a public consultation looking at, ‘Why in a creative town there was little engagement in art and culture for the wide majority of residents.’ Hastings is a town in an area of high need and with health inequalities. We have a large number of creative people in the town; however, a huge number of residents do not engage in the arts, despite the growing awareness of the benefits that participation brings to health and wellbeing and reducing loneliness and isolation.
“I became inspired to create accessible art for wellbeing, using art as a conduit to open up conver-sation, reduce loneliness and isolation, break down stigma and create a platform for people through creativity to rebuild their confidence.”
While NHS social prescribing is predominantly a signposting service to existing organisations (its aim was to reduce GP work-loads and link individuals with alternative forms of support), Tara went a step further. Knowing the benefits art can have on wellbeing she created the AOP programme – 14 weeks of funded art classes, held in accessible GP surgery spaces and run by professional artists and wellbeing practitioners.
The scheme has gained in demand and popularity – more GPs are expressing interest in referring, more local artists are keen to be involved, and with the new hub in Alexandra Park, free or low-cost classes and workshops are now open to the entire community.
Tara believes the success of the programme is in bringing people together to explore creativity, getting a sense of achievement in learning something new, and doing so in, with, and for the community.
“We are not therapists,” Tara says, “we deliver practical hands-on workshops. We believe the experience of trying new things, playing through creative processes and risk-taking builds confidence.
“We know that participation reduces stress, connects others and helps build confidence. The ‘five ways to wellbeing’, which involvement in art sessions delivers, shows the benefits and is now well-documented, and part of the NHS Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We have had clients go from low hope; lack of self-esteem; depression and loneliness, even potential suicide risk, to attending colleges, becoming volunteers and setting up their own creative practices. Some of our clients had never entered a library or museum or art gallery until they had accessed our AOP courses. It’s been humbling and inspiring sharing their journey as they progress through our programme.”
AOP run workshops for local school children in the America Ground
The involvement of local artists and creation of local projects go further to establish a true sense
of community and inclusion. A ceramic wall mural, depicting the history of the America Ground, Trinity Triangle, installed in Gotham Alley is just one of AOP’s projects.
Tara continues, “Over the past few years there has been an emergence of art projects across the town, and I think that AOP has been responsible for an increased awareness in the importance of engaging people in art across the community.”
Now, the new hub in the park – Art in the Park – offers the next level of opportunities for residents. It offers continuity – so often missing from projects like these. AOP uncovers skills, develops them, then provides the facilities for them to be honed and shared with others.
“Art in the Park offers volun-teering opportunities for AOP peers who wish to share the skills they have acquired or built upon through our courses and give something back by running fundraising events and facilitating creative workshops,” Tara says.
“We are developing a training volunteer programme working with Hastings Voluntary Action so the venue becomes an asset-based, creative wellbeing hub promoting the benefits of connecting with art, nature and community. It will be an exciting stepping stone for AOP participants to develop their personal creative practice and for the wider community to get involved.”
This includes as many groups and individuals as possible. Zoom classes are run for those who can’t access the spaces. During Covid-19 the organisation sent out a lockdown activity pack across East Sussex to schools and families – Quentin Blake liked the project so much he designed the logo! And, given the prevalence of low mental health and higher suicide rates among males, AOP has run a pilot men-only group, which proved so successful that the course is being extended.
Events in the park are for all; half-term Halloween and Christmas activities being just two examples. The aim is for the entire community to become involved in the park in the long term, whether it be to join classes, projects or one-off events. Tara says, “Our Alexandra Jubilee Project has invited families, children and everyone to become involved in a variety of workshops and to share their memories and stories about their own relationship with Alexandra Park, this urban park spanning through the heart of Hastings, and our team of artists and peer volunteers are currently working to create a lasting legacy celebrating Alexandra Park.”
The practicality of running something on this scale, as for any community organisation, is daunting and time-consuming, and further expertise is needed in order for AOP to continue in its work. Tara says: “I would like AOP to continue as an embedded service as part of the new health care vision in Hastings, and to obtain long-term funding to provide paid staff and weekly sessions available on prescription. Without funding it will be hard to know where we will go. The organisation has grown and we are receiving a high number of referrals into the service – Covid saw an increase in people experiencing anxiety, mental health issues and isolation.”
Now, this community project is looking to the community for assistance.
“We are looking for enthusiastic and passionate people with ex-perience working with the NHS; mental health; community projects; social media and promotion, and artists who can volunteer their time. We desperately need an experienced fundraiser who will write bids on a pay-what-you-earn basis”.
The success of AOP lies un-doubtedly in the nurturing of skills that service users discover, the visible benefits to mental health that exploring creativity can bring, and the true inclusion and uniting of the community. Run by, with and for all residents, it is genuinely art for wellbeing, and art for all.
• NB: AOP faces winter closure. It has a £300 monthly bill for electricity. HBC is aware this is incorrect but advised they must pay and wait to be credited, meaning a likely suspension of the service.
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