The Newcastle workshop focused on carers, care organisations and those delivering arts activities. The arts partner for the day was Equal Arts (a leading creative ageing charity https://www.equalarts.org.uk/). There were 65 people present from organisations such as Arts Council England, Tees Valley Museums, Tyne and Wear Museums as well as local care homes, and artists working in caring environments.

Andrew Newman firstly introduced the project and explained the concept of relational care and the role that co-creative arts can play in facilitating it. Relational care focuses on networks of care rather than one person caring for another which is a departure from person centred care which has dominated thinking since the 1990s.

Next was a discussion between Jos Foster Melville (Equal Arts) and Keith Hogan (Head of Care and Support Services Newcastle City Council). It was noted that relational care offset presumptions about older people by giving residents opportunities to flourish, giving care home residents presence and status as people who contribute. It was important to think about connections beyond the care home. Care staff recognised that investment in the time for activities resulted in savings of time/effort elsewhere. During lockdown Equal Arts arranged for Group singing in the gardens of local care homes, this helped with connectivity, in a difficult time. 

This was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Andrew Newman with Sara Harrison, Arts Council England, Karen Taylor Williams, Manager, Royal Hampton Care Home, Crown Care and Jackie Murray, the manager and owner of Grange Lea Care Home, Ponteland, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne. Sarah Harrison noted that Arts Council England has a team that deals with creative health.

Arts Council England has a separate team that deals with creative health. This includes dementia and social isolation. Creative health overlaps with the work focused on older people. Social prescribing is seen as important as well. Sara Harrison thinks that the case for the value of this work has been made, however, how do we get people to listen? Jackie Murray felt that people should not be treated differently because they are in care. She has staff that want to be duty when creative activities are taking place. Creativity needs to become one of the Care Quality Commission ‘mandatories’. Karen Taylor Williams noted that Care Quality Commission’s focus is on the ‘the hamster wheel of care’. Her care home is doing a project based on Capability Brown, getting people outside. It was important to get know the residents through gathering information about them. She also said that getting those outside of the care home involved was very difficult.

Sara Harrison noted that it was important to have care homes as partners in funding applications. People come together when there is money on the table to draw them in. Care home managers will have to engage with external partners, taking the initiative. However, Jackie Murray noted that Care Home Managers need to be supported in this endeavour., as they have a very wide range of activities.

Following this was a presentation by Dr Karen Franks a consultant in old age psychiatry, Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust. She noted the focus needs to be on what makes life worth living. Some of the things we enjoy doing as we get older change, but somethings remain constant, such as relationships (even the introverts). Medical processes might miss what matters to people. The messiness/elusiveness of arts in health is a barrier to some.

In the afternoon there was a series of roundtables looking at music, dance, intergenerational activities and a museu8m in a care home.

The day was as follows.

10.30                   Registration and coffee

11.00                   Welcome, Anne Walton, Chair Equal Arts

11.05                   Introduction, Prof Andrew Newman, Newcastle University

11.20                   In conversation, Jos Foster Melville in conversation with Keith Hogan, Newcastle City Council

11.40                   Panel Discussion chaired by Prof Andrew Newman, Newcastle University

                             Sara Harrison, Arts Council England

                             Karen Taylor Williams, Manager, Royal Hampton Care Home, Crown Care

                             Jackie Murray, care home manager and owner

12.10                   Dr Karen Franks, Consultant, Old Age Psychiatry, Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust

12.30                   Lunch   

1.15                     Anita Goundry-Smith in conversation with Susan Ratliff

1.30                     Roundtable Discussions

Roundtable 1     Museum in a care home

Roundtable 2     Music

Roundtable 3     Intergenerational activities

Roundtable 4     Dance

3.00                     Closing Remarks – Prof Andrew Newman

3.10                     Music & Movement Finale

3.30                     Close