Pioneer Projects provides a unique base to support the growing field of community based arts and health, and is linked to the Centre for Medical Humanities at the University of Durham.

Creative Exchange is a developing project aimed at people who want to connect with others involved with community based arts and health projects and use the experience to learn and develop practice together

If you are interested phone Jay on Tel: 015242 62672 Fax: 015242 64929 or email; office@pioneerprojects.org.uk

Developing the practice of

Arts and Community Health

“Critical Mass Fringe was an international networking opportunity for arts and health practitioners in the Northern region, held in June 2011.

Visitors from the Arts and Health world in Australia , South Africa , USA , Mexico and Ireland came to the North of England for the Critical Mass Colloquium organised by the Centre for Medical Humanities at Durham University . In order to make the most of their visit a series of fringe events were set up to create opportunities for networking and exchange between arts and health practitioners in the Northern region and their counterparts around the world.

Pioneer Projects worked in partnership with Centre for Medical Humanities at Durham University, Arts and Health North West at Manchester Metropolitan University and Open Art in Yorkshire, with funding from Arts Council England to organise these events in South Shields, Bentham and Manchester.”

Participants in the Critical Mass Fringe said: -

The perfect presentation of the ‘discovery outcomes tool’ to a local/international audience that embodied the principles of arts in health was just brilliant, the culmination of years of thought and preparation in a real life realisation.

The atmosphere was very warm and friendly and presented me with numerous opportunities to network with arts and health practitioners from all over the world.

As an ‘outsider’ to Bentham and a student researcher, I can genuinely say that my nine months based at ‘Looking Well’ have improved my health and wellbeing and provided me with the opportunity to try new things I never thought I would.

This was a vital, inspiring, re-strengthening opportunity to hear about the best practice, human triumphs, special change and to be reassured of the worth, wealth and warmth of the arts and health phenomenon. MORE PLEASE!
 

In 2008 Ali Clough, PP Creative Director, was the lucky recipient of the Healthway International Arts and Health Fellowship. AIi was hosted by CANWA (Community Arts Network, Western Australia) and worked on a processional theatre piece called Rock Hole Long Pipe in Coolgardie, followed by doing workshops with Aboriginal health workers and artists at Wongutha Birni Aboriginal Corporation in Kalgoorlie on the edge of the Western Desert. They looked at creative ways of addressing the issue of diabetes and kidney disease and came up with stories that would help us understand the disease, why it was such a huge problem and what we could do about it. AIi was shown the traditional story telling technique of drawing in the sand using a piece of bent fencing wire, called a story wire.

Alison Dimer, a health worker from Coolgardie, wrote a story called Alfie the Tooth Fairy during the workshops. She has just won the 2011 Dr Ross Ingram Memorial Competition, run by the Medical Journal of Australia. Alison won the award for her work writing the story and working with others to create a sand animation which educates aboriginal children about healthy lifestyles that promote better kidney health.

View the animation at:

http://www.artshealthfoundation.org.au/westerndesertkidney/about/

http://www.canwa.com.au/resources/CoolGudia_RockHoleLongPipe_web-spreads.pdf