Keep up to date with our latest news and events.
Latest News
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Break
‘Break’ is a creative synthesis of research completed with clinical staff working in one of the largest physical NHS Trusts in the North West of England participating in an intervention that has adapted the Arts for the Blues into a multi-levelled creative psychological package aiming to support the wellbeing of healthcare workers. The piece was created…
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Together Un/Tethered, an Arts for the Blues immersive performance
Sneak a peak at our Arts Council-funded project, Together Un/Tethered. Participants and artists joined a therapeutically informed Arts for the Blues group at the Liverpool Lighthouse and used their experiences to create this immersive performance. Interweaving movement, spoken word, innovative soundscape, projection and live cellist, Together Un/tethered explores themes of separation, connection, new possibilities and…
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Watch the highlights from our scaling up Arts for the Blues project
Creative dialogue with Community – Video Watch our short video report on our stakeholder and training days as part of our AHRC grant to develop a strategy for scaling up arts-based interventions. We held two stakeholders events for 43 stakeholders from healthcare, cultural, community and local authorities settings. We also evaluated four training days with…
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New publication – Bringing creative psychotherapies to primary NHS mental health services in the UK
Bringing creative psychotherapies to primary NHS Mental Health Services in the UK: A feasibility study on patient and staff experiences of arts for the blues workshops delivered at Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. Download our most recent article which discusses a feasibility study undertaken with patients and staff in an IAPT (Improving Access…
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A new strategy for scaling up place-based arts initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing
Last year Arts for the Blues received AHRC grant to develop a strategy for scaling up arts-based interventions across North West using Arts for the Blues as an example. To develop the strategy we held two stakeholders events for 43 stakeholders from healthcare, cultural, community and local authorities settings. We also evaluated four training days…
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New open access publication
Our most recent article discusses a feasibility study undertaken with patients and staff in an IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) service. This article is open access and you can find it here: Karkou, V., Omylinska-Thurston, J., Parsons, A.S., Lewis, J., Dubrow-Marshall, L., Thurston, S. (2022). Bringing creative psychotherapies to primary NHS Mental Health Services in…
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Events
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Arts for the Blues at the House of Lords
Vicky Karkou has appeared at Children and Young People’s Mental Health Roundtable at the House of Lords on 3rd June, hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Creative Health and the National Centre for Creative Health. Vicky spoke to the group about the Arts for the Blues project and the work of the broader follow-up…
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Arts for the Blues in Riga
The Arts for the Blues team have presented their work in Riga, Latvia at the 7th European Dramatherapy Conference, also the 2nd International Dramatherapy Conference on the 2 and 3 May. The theme of the conference this year was ‘Human and Nature in Dramatherapy’. This was an incredibly well-attended and diverse conference with around 250…
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Next Arts for the Blues therapy group at the University of Salford
We are proud to announce the next Arts for the Blues therapy group will be delivered at the University of Salford starting on Feb 11th 2025. The group will run every Tuesday morning 10-11:30am for 12 weeks, concluding on 29 April 2025. The group, which has limited places, will take place face to face on…
Research Announcements
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Using Creative Arts Therapies to Work with Trauma Developed from Experiences of Domestic Abuse
This book chapter introduces creative arts therapies as a way of working with complex trauma developed from experiences of domestic abuse. Ethical considerations when using creative methods when working with trauma are highlighted. The chapter follows Herman’s stages of working with trauma (1992), linking with Roddy’s (2014) counselling and psychotherapy model for domestic abuse counselling.…
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New publication – Bringing creative psychotherapies to primary NHS mental health services in the UK
Bringing creative psychotherapies to primary NHS Mental Health Services in the UK: A feasibility study on patient and staff experiences of arts for the blues workshops delivered at Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. Download our most recent article which discusses a feasibility study undertaken with patients and staff in an IAPT (Improving Access…
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Impact of Dance Movement Psychotherapy on the Wellbeing of Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Aithal S, Karkou V, Makris S, Karaminis T and Powell J (2021) Impact of Dance Movement Psychotherapy on the Wellbeing of Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Public Health. (IF 2.427).