Itinerary

We’ll be exploring how past work has shaped the field of Arts and Wellbeing, what’s happening now, and what work will look like in the future.
The conference's menu is carefully curated, and you can select from different interactive workshops, presentations, and performances.

The morning’s speakers and breakout sessions will include:

• Presentation by Deeplish Community Centre, who will discuss the work and creative projects they do with the diverse local communities in Deeplish, Rochdale.
• Presentations by Arc, Cartwheel Arts and TiPP on how their organisations have developed best practice and the approaches and projects that have worked best in delivering the Greater Manchester Creative Health Strategy. They will share their perspectives on what works collectively in the sector and what works in their organisation’s on-the-ground delivery. 
• Interactive workshop that explores 'Ways of Working: Sustainability and Self-Care'; a explorative session on mindfully connecting with materials and environment with Cartwheel Art’s Wellbeing team members Alex Blakey and Gemma Wrigley.
• An interactive workshop with the award-winning DIY Theatre based on its multi-sensory show, 'Hanging By a Thread.' The show was created by DIY’s company of Learning-Disabled Artists and is an intimate performance that invites audiences to connect with the natural world.

Over lunch, an Ideas Market features stalls to encourage conversation between speakers, organisations, researchers, and fellow delegates.

During the day, a roving Visual Documenter will respond to emerging themes and ideas generated. People are invited to contribute to a sculpture that responds and reflects on the day. Archives of the last four decades of Cartwheel Art’s work in the Arts and Well-being arena are available to explore.

In the afternoon, the conference takes a look at the future and how participatory arts and creative health can flourish in changing times:

• Psychotherapist Salma Khalid and Artist Rahela Khan, from our Arts for Wellbeing team, will share Cartwheel Art’s Art for Wellbeing Methodology and Culturally Sensitive Practice. Salma and Rahela will explore their experiences with diverse groups and share their learning and approaches to working in different settings. This presentation responds to the very real need for our sector to be more culturally appropriate and nuanced in shaping, co-creating, and delivering projects.
• Music leader David McFarlane will deliver a music-making workshop. This session invites us - whatever our musical ability, some or none! – Participate in group music-making with different instruments (some more conventional than others!). David’s workshop discusses accessibility and methods for making participatory music-making sessions more inclusive.
• Robin Lyons from Ergon Theatre will be leading a fun and interactive performative workshop around the climate crisis and personal responsibility. Based in the future, this ‘tongue-in-cheek' workshop considers a potential future we may face, alongside the importance to consider mindfulness and empowerment when taking climate action.
• Students, researchers and independent practitioners will share current research in a session developed in collaboration with the University of Manchester’s Creative Manchester project. The presentations are: 
  
  Organisations of Hope: creative health ecologies in Greater Manchester
  Dr Simon Parry, Dr Angela Whitecross, University of Manchester
  
  Passing Roots to Branches: Unravelling the Role of Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer in mediating South Asian Migrant-Background families’ Connection(s) with/to the Natural World
  Nobila Bano, Manchester Metropolitan University
  
  Creative Researching: Investigating Arts-Based Participatory Research Approaches
  Dr Henry McPherson & Dr Tessa Harris, University of Manchester
  
  Muslims Musicking for Health: Historical to Contemporary Perspectives
  Dr Fatima Lahham, Nordoff & Robbins / Guildhall School of Music and Drama
  
  Bringing Our Own Utopias: European Collaborations across the Cities of Literature network, from Tartu to Manchester and beyond!
  Dr David Hartley, Independent
  
  Healing through Indian Dance
  Miss Ria Meera Munshi, Ri Ri's Dance Academy

The day features networking, panel discussions and live poetry from the award-winning Tony Walsh.

Concession and Pay It Forward Tickets
We know that times are tough financially and have done our best to ensure tickets are affordable. 
This includes our concession tickets – a number of tickets are available for individuals on low or no-income (no questions asked). 

If you, or your organisation, wish to help cover the cost of these tickets, you can add a ‘Pay it Forward’ ticket at checkout, which will add £12.50 to your ticket price and enable another delegate to attend. Thank you for your support.                    

PRICES

Concessions Ticket: £40.00
Individual: £75.00
Small Organisation: £100.00
Large Organisation: £130.00

MORE INFORMATION

Cartwheel Arts co-creates inclusive artistic opportunities with diverse communities that enhance well-being and celebrate culture and heritage. We use a wide range of media to initiate and respond to project opportunities across Rochdale Borough and Greater Manchester.

Creative Manchester is an interdisciplinary research platform based at The University of Manchester. The platform champions research in creativity and creative practice, bringing together research communities with external stakeholders to explore new research areas and address strategic opportunities.

Tony Walsh poet, performer and writer.