In 2021-22, following the successful delivery of a pilot creative prescribing project in Langholm during lockdown, and with support from SOSE, NHS Endowment Fund and Holywood Trust, OPA carried out 6-months of research and development to map existing creative wellbeing strategies and stakeholders, scope opportunities, and potential partnerships and identify and co-design next steps via engagement and consultation.

This marked a significant step forward for creative health and wellbeing in D&G, with key strategic and delivery partnerships formed as a result. Through these new relationships, we accessed target participant groups – allowing us to pin-point the needs of people experiencing a range of barriers and inequalities and create thoughtful creative programmes in response.

This work resulted in ‘DG Creative Wellbeing’ – a groundbreaking programme of impactful arts activities, events, and interventions across D&G, working in both community, residential care AND healthcare settings, with support from an alliance of funders – The National Lottery Community Fund, The Holywood Trust and NHS D&G Charity. 

OutPost Arts’ partnership with NHS D&G has led to an embedded Art in Healthcare programme across all four major healthcare sites – a huge step forward for our region, and a first for the South of Scotland.

A regional cross-sector Creative Wellbeing Network was established to compliment the Community & Healthcare strands – creating an accessible platform for all stakeholders to collaborate, share learning and experiences, and discuss creative wellbeing themes – amplifying art and culture’s important connections to health and wellbeing.