Journeys at Alder Hey

June and November 2013

“

I really liked doing the art stuff because it stopped me thinking about the drip.

Young Participant

”

A creative collaboration between DaDaFest and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Supported by Curious Minds

The project partners’ aim was to enable young disabled people or young people living with long term illness who attend Alder Hey to gain an introduction to the arts and develop their visual arts skills. We aimed to improve their confidence and self-esteem, to have a positive effect on their feeling of wellbeing, and to encourage in them a passion and enthusiasm for the arts. We designed the project to have a beneficial delivery method as well as quality outcomes. We ensured that all participants’ access requirements were met, so that no one would be excluded from the project on the grounds of their support needs. By using DaDaFest artists to deliver the workshops we gave the young people positive disabled and deaf roles models. A project aim was to demonstrate good practice in the beneficial relationship between the arts and health. This report reflects some of the key conclusions of the evaluation. The next two years are important for Alder Hey as it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2014 and will move to its new purpose built hospital building, Alder Hey in the Park, in 2015. To record and mark these developments we chose to develop visual stories and journeys in response to the young people’s relationship with the hospital and the changes taking place for them as individuals and Alder Hey. “We were excited to be working with DaDaFest for the first time and believe that their artists support our long term patients through developing their creativity and motivation, as well as creating a positive environment on the wards.”

Arts Coordinator, Alder Hey

“Our partnership with Alder Hey has been an important one for many reasons: young people working on arts activities with established artists is always a positive experience, and more so when we are able to base work within disability cultural perspectives. As ever the work will speak for itself, and we are delighted to start a dialogue which creates new ways of thinking.” Ruth Gould, Artistic Director, DaDaFest

“We are really pleased to be supporting this project and working alongside DaDaFest and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to ensure young people have access to high quality arts and culture activity. Arts Award is a great way to do this, offering a qualification that celebrates the skills young people have gained through the project.” Curious Minds Arts Award Officer

Overview of Project

Who Took Part

DaDaFest delivered two series of visual arts workshops (15 in total) for the young people at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital as a pilot project with the view of developing further collaborative programmes in the future.

The activities took place on two wards within the hospital which support young people with long term medical conditions, such as those requiring regular kidney dialysis and those with cystic fibrosis. Young People requiring dialysis visit the ward three times a week and spend up to five hours a day receiving their treatment.

For the first stage of the project, young people were asked to think about ideas around a journey and create art work in response to this. Some of the young people chose to think about their journeys within the hospital environment whilst others focused on other journeys they had made such as a holiday or visiting family. Each young person worked

with a visual artist and was given an art pack containing a sketchbook, pastels, watercolour pencils, collage materials and a disposable camera. The second stage of the project focused on developing the young person’s skills and exploring their ideas further. Young people worked with a photographer to learn new skills in digital photography and editing. The young people created a series of postcards based on the images they had taken and manipulated. Two of the young people took part in the Arts Award programme, achieving the Explore level.

24 young people took part, aged between 5 and 15.

males

females

“I’m really surprised and happy that Marcus was able to participate in the art activity, it helped to keep him positive.” Young Person’s Mum

What Did the Young People Think? To capture the young people’s experiences, a simple response form was created. The young people were asked to circle words that described how they were feeling before and after the workshop. They were encouraged to circle as many words as were relevant. The size of the balloons illustrates the responses :

After the workshop:

Before the workshop:

33 3 21

4 5

3 11

32 20

5 4 6

The young people were also asked if they enjoyed the session they took part in :

2 3

100% lots 0% not sure 0% not at all

4 And how did it make them feel ? : 95% happy 5% ok 0% sad 7

Outputs

Outcomes

Success and Learning Points

Arts Awards Explore Level.

Increased sense of wellbeing

The positive affect on the wards and the high quality of delivery gained the trust and support of the ward staff, which was invaluable for the artist and young people.

“Our arts programmes play a vitally important role for chilamong participating patients dren and young people at Alder Hey. Through participating Each young person was given demonstrated by the use of more in them, patients can make their own choices, express their a pack of art materials to keep. positive words after the workshop. creativity, learn new skills and have a more positive experience of hospital. We believe the arts enable us to deliver a Creating an enthusiasm for personalised for patients and this has been “Youmore can see that they healthcare the arts for the young people shown to be beneficial in patients’ recovery.” - Arts Coordinaenjoyed the opportunity to develop outside the hospital to betor, creative” Alder Hey Young DaDa Steering Group Member

Each young person created an image and quote for their postcard. Once printed, they received a pack of their postcards to use.

environment.

Contributing to a positive atmosphere on the wards: many patients, families and staff commented on how important this project had been in helping to take the young people’s minds off being in hospital. Sense of achievement for the patients through creating the postcard which showcased their work. Achieving accredited qualifications. Increased choice for young people by allowing them to take a lead in the development of the project and their work.

It was beneficial to have a dedicated Arts Award Advisor to work with the young people alongside the artist to deliver personalised and individual learning. We had to be creative with delivery and find solutions that allowed us to work with young people on an individual basis and tailored to their needs. Working in a hospital setting means delivery of the workshops has to be superseded by the priorities of medical care. Involving the artist in the extensive planning, preparation, regular evaluation and review sessions enabled us and the artist to be flexible with the delivery of the project. This proved to be essential for delivery in a hospital setting.

The Arts Award support visit allowed us to create a tailormade delivery plan. We would highly recommend booking a support visit. It is important to work with an artist who is confident and comfortable working in a hospital environment and that they are able to adapt their delivery methods. “It made me happier than just watching TV” Young Participant

Young people making decisions on the planning and running of projects is key to the project’s success. Having their voices heard empowers them and gives them full buy-in to the activities and ownership of the outcomes. Working individually with the young people by their bedside, dedicating time on a one to one basis created the best results.

What’s next?

The People

Use our learning and experience from the project to deliver more sustained and longer term arts projects within hospital settings.

The Artists Ross Clark Leila Romaya

Adapt, improve and expand our Arts Award delivery within hospital settings. Working with Curious Minds we will develop models for future use including sharing ideas and learning with other arts organisations and hospitals. We have already been contacted by two other organisations who are keen to share our learning. “We still have a lot to learn about delivery in a hospital setting but seeing the smile and enjoyment on a young person’s face when they are taking part in the workshops makes it all worthwhile, it brings home why you are doing this in the first place and how important it is to get it right.” Arts Manager, DaDaFest

DaDaFest Sam Wade Arts Manager Young People Alder Hey Vicky Charnock Arts Coordinator Michelle Ball Senior Play Specialist With thanks to All participating young people, their families and staff at Alder Hey. “The artist was teaching them but letting the patients take the lead.” Senior Play Specialist, Alder Hey

The names of young people involved in the project have been changed in this booklet. Photography by Leila and Paul from Twin Vision.

DaDaFest is a disability and Deaf arts organisation based in Liverpool, delivering an international festival and other arts events to promote high quality arts from unique cultural perspectives. It also produces opportunities for disabled and deaf people to access the arts, including training and a young people’s programme. Tel : 0151 707 1733 | www.dadafest.co.uk

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital is one of the largest children’s hospitals in Europe, every year it cares for over 270,000 children, young people and their families, treating everything from common illnesses to highly complex and rare conditions. Alder Hey is a Centre of Excellence and is leading research into children’s medicines and infection. Over the last decade, the Arts for Health department have been pioneering innovative approaches to using the arts in paediatric healthcare. Tel: 0151 228 4811 | www.alderhey.nhs.uk

Curious Minds is part of a national network of 10 Bridge organisations funded by Arts Council England to use experience and expertise to connect children and young people, schools and communities with art and culture. Tel: 01282 43583 | www.curiousminds.org.uk

This report is available in other formats on request from the DaDaFest office The Bluecoat School Lane Liverpool L1 3BX Telephone: +44 (0)151 707 1733 Text : +44 (0)743 653 6200 Website: www.dadafest.co.uk Email: info@dadafest.co.uk Twitter: @DaDaFest Registered Charity No. 1014390 Registered in England and Wales No. 2636606 DaDaFest Principal Funding Partners:

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