Edge Hill University to host major celebration for children’s mental health research project

Edge Hill is set to host a free event on Saturday, 27 June, marking the successful conclusion of the second year of Arts4Us.

Arts4Us is one of the largest UKRI-funded projects dedicated to improving access to place-based arts initiatives for the mental health of children and young people. With a £2.5 million investment, the Arts4Us project brings together more than 50 partners across health, education, the voluntary sector and cultural industries.

The end-of-year celebration at the University’s Arts Centre will provide a vibrant showcase of the project’s progress, bringing together researchers, students, practitioners and advocates to discuss how creative activities can foster mental wellbeing.

With a £2.5 million investment, the Arts4Us project brings together more than 50 partners across health, education, the voluntary sector and cultural industries. The end-of-year celebration at the University’s Arts Centre will provide a vibrant showcase of the project’s progress, bringing together researchers, students, practitioners and advocates to discuss how creative activities can foster mental wellbeing.

The day-long event will be moderated by the Young Arts4Us panel, a group of young co-researchers whose voices are central to the project’s co-produced approach. Attendees can expect a dynamic programme featuring keynote talks, research insights, interactive workshops and performances that bring the project’s findings to life.

Professor Vicky Karkou, Arts4Us project lead and Director of Edge Hill’s Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, said:

“When it comes to children’s mental health, we know that the arts and arts therapies have a role to play as prevention, early intervention and treatment and management. However, access to quality arts provision is faced with systematic barriers. In this year’s Arts4Us event, organised under the Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, we will celebrate some of the ways in which we can overcome these barriers.

“We will also engage in discussions, workshops and presentations, creating art, visiting exhibitions and performances and, crucially, working closely with our young Arts4Us panel who will curate the day.”

The event will feature insights from world-leading experts, including Professor Daisy Fancourt (UNESCO Chair, UCL), Stephen Stapleton (Jameel Arts and Health Lab) and Professor Ananda Breed (UNESCO Chair, University of Lincoln).

In addition to project research, the event will present the curated exhibition This is Also Motherhood by Carolyn Mendelsohn. This powerful exhibition explores the raw stories of women’s experiences of pregnancy and motherhood and is organised in collaboration with the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), with an introduction by Baroness Luciana Berger. This exhibition is only open to people 14 years and above.

This event is open to current students, practitioners, researchers and arts providers interested in the future of creative health and youth wellbeing.

Find out more on the Arts4Us here.

Find more art events across Liverpool on our calendar.

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