Pilot Scheme to support minority communities in the arts in Wales.

Posted on Dec 02, 2024
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Over the last 6 months we have been one of the partners on the 'Stepping In' project - an exciting new pilot training and mentoring programme for a cohort of four mentee practitioners from minority communities in Wales.

It is a first of its kind, pilot for South and West Wales.

Stepping In has been designed by Wales Arts Health Wellbeing Network (WAHWN) in consultation with the sector in response to the lack of diversity within the arts and health creative workforce. This programme will help build the skills, knowledge and experience required to deliver projects in arts and health settings, through training, shadowing a live project, mentoring and peer support.

“We were delighted to be an arts partner on Stepping In, a brand-new pilot mentoring programme project led by WAHWN. We really enjoyed working all the partners, massively insightful and so many learnings for us all. We wanted to be part of this project because of the lack of diversity within the arts and health workforce and we thought this would be a great opportunity to support a creative practitioner at PSU.

The whole process from designing the residential, interviewing applicants, the residential week, the placement, mentoring and evaluation has been full of learnings, and we are so grateful to our mentee Pete Mosey.
Pete worked across all our programme from our base at PSU in Llanelli to our creative home delivery service across Carmarthenshire. We could see his confidence grow and he had so much to give as a creative practitioner, Pete is now part of our freelance team at PSU.” Founder and Chief Executive of PSU, Eleanor Shaw.

"I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to grow and develop my skills with the support of Eleanor and the whole team at PSU, and I have loved getting involved in projects like Arty Afternoon, Story Care and Share, and Creative Home Delivery Service. The entire mentorship has given me the confidence to deliver creative arts and wellbeing sessions in a one-to-one and group setting. It has been hugely enriching, both personally and professionally." Pete Mosey

We were one of the arts organisations partnering with Hywel Dda University Health Board, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Caerphilly Arts Development, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff School of Art.

Over recent years, there has been a growing understanding of the impact that creative or cultural activity can have on health and wellbeing. It includes any art project, intervention or commission where the intention is to improve health and well-being. Arts and health projects take place in a wide range of settings including hospitals, care homes, community and art settings, and aim to support physical and mental health.

Read more about arts and health

Evaluation Report

Case Study Link