Summary

In this episode of the Our Creative Connection podcast, I am joined by Danelle Lee and Paul Cooke from the University of Leeds to discuss Project CREATE.

An initiative focused on involving young people in arts-based mental health research. The conversation explores the importance of creative health, the challenges of co-production, and the unique perspectives of young people on loneliness and mental health.

The discussion highlights the complexities of measuring the impact of creative practices and the need for a shared understanding between arts and science.

The episode concludes with reflections on the future of Project CREATE and the ongoing journey of understanding the role of creativity in mental health.

Takeaways

Project CREATE focuses on arts-based mental health research.

Youth engagement is central to the project's success.

Co-production can be messy but is essential for genuine collaboration.

Understanding young people's perspectives is crucial for effective research.

The meaning of research varies between arts and clinical contexts.

Tensions exist between quantifying art and recognizing its unique value.

Group dynamics significantly influence the creative process.

Different art forms impact mental health in varied ways.

The project aims to explore mechanisms of change in creative practices.

Future directions for Project CREATE include ongoing engagement and research.

Jo Grace, founder of the Sensory Projects, discusses her work in creating inclusive experiences for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. She shares her journey from teaching to developing sensory stories and the importance of ongoing learning and improvement in the field of inclusion. Jo emphasizes the value of simplicity and accessibility in her work, using everyday materials to create meaningful experiences. She highlights the power of monosensory experiences for individuals with profound disabilities and the need to break down complex concepts into manageable components. Jo Grace discusses the importance of inclusive research and the challenges of conducting research with people with profound intellectual disabilities. She shares her journey of obtaining funding for her sensory projects and her six-month research period to understand how people with disabilities perceive the world. Jo emphasizes the need for silence and allowing processing time for individuals with disabilities. She also talks about her current PhD research on identity and belonging for people with profound intellectual disabilities.

Find out more about Jo's work here https://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk

Keywords

inclusion, sensory projects, profound intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, sensory stories, accessibility, monosensory experiences, inclusive research, profound intellectual disabilities, sensory projects, processing time, identity, belonging.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

04:38 The Journey Towards Sensory Stories

07:21 Challenges and Reflections on Inclusion

10:18 The Power of Sensory Stories in Education

17:23 Kickstarter Campaign and Funding

23:34 Bringing Glastonbury to School

26:48 The Impact of Sensory Stories

30:04 The Joy of Sensory Engagement

34:37 The Power of Simplicity in Sensory Engagement

35:59 Reimagining Photo Voice Work

38:21 The Power of Silence and Processing Time

45:13 Navigating the Challenges of Inclusive Research

53:54 The Journey to Recovery

01:04:33 Creating an Accessible and Inclusive World

I am so grateful to Jo for sharing her story in this conversation! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Stephanie Lloyd & Lee Ann Tourigny from Photovoice Worldwide join me in conversation to reflect on our shared passion for all things Photovoice! 

In this podcast we're talking about the need to support practitioners, share learning and create opportunities for collaboration in the world of Photovoice as well as sharing thoughts and experiences from our own practice using this method!It was wonderful to chat with two people who care about Photovoice as much as I do!

I would highly recommend you check out the the work that Photovoice Worldwide do and get involved in the movement! https://www.photovoiceworldwide.com

It was great to welcome Heidi Fisher from Make An Impact CIC on to the show!

Heidi works with social enterprises, public sector organisations and purpose-led businesses who want to create MORE impact in the world as effortlessly as possible.

We cover a LOT of ground in this conversation reflecting on our experiences in the world of Social Enterprise and drawing on Heidi's expertise with demonstrating impact.
Heidi specialises in health, social care, wellbeing and training/skills organisations to develop impact or social value measurement systems to automate your data collection and analysis.
Having received an MBE for Services to Innovation in Social Enterprise and to Impact Measurement, following 20 years of hard work, Heidi has helped over 2,100 social enterprises, from start-ups to those with over £1bn of income in the UK and internationally.
Heidi is the author of “Social Enterprise: How to successfully set up and grow a social enterprise” (http://amzn.to/2ehu5XN) and “Impact First: The social entrepreneur’s guide to measuring, managing and growing your impact” (https://makeanimpactcic.co.uk/about-2/my-book-impact-first/).
You can also check Heidi's own 'Make an Impact' podcast here (http://bit.ly/MAIpodcast).

In this episode join me and Shy Burhan as we discuss our different paths towards 'Socially Engaged Photography'

I am so grateful to Shy for sharing her story and her work with me - we cover creativity, well being, community and of course - photography!!

Shy is a socially engaged photographer and storyteller whose work has tackled diverse topics, such as food wastage and food poverty, positive body representation, survival stories of domestic abuse victims, regeneration of city centres, turning the big ’40’, and celebrating women of colour who work in industries where they’re under-represented. She’s also run participatory photography workshops with people seeking sanctuary and young people from inner city areas of her home city of Bradford as she’s passionate about giving agency to under-represented groups to relay their own visual narratives where possible.

You can see Shy's work on her website https://shybphotography.com and https://www.instagram.com/shybphotography/?hl=en

It was lovely to chat with Georgina Clarke from Ascent Wellbeing to explore this question and much more in the latest Our Creative Connection Podcast! 🎙

In this conversation we discuss how Psychological Safety can help create an environment where every person feels heard, valued, and respected. 🌟

I am fascinated at the almost parallel worlds of community development and organisational development. A different language is build up around each but fundamentally it’s about people coming together to do ‘stuff’ isn’t it? Well if that’s the case then I have a hunch that Photography might just enhance that experience (but then I would say that)!

Tune in for insights, practical tips, and real-life examples of how Psychological Safety can make a difference in your organization.

You can see more about Georgina's work at Ascent Wellbeing here https://www.ascentwellbeing.com

Hugely grateful to Abril for sharing her amazing experiences with me in this conversation. We talk about her motivation and interest in the areas of Migration and Gender which she has been exploring through Photovoice. In this conversation we talk about Migration in South America & the United States as well as Sudan and Kenya where Abril has also worked.