Cr8 Healthier Leicestershire
Cr8 Healthier Leicestershire was a project which set out to:
- establish what artists can contribute towards the delivery of the ten priorities of the National Healthy Schools Standard (NHSS)
- identify what creative & business opportunities this might present for artists
- act as an advocacy project & to identify ways in which schools, PCTs & Children’s & Young People’s Services can be persuaded to develop partnerships with artists in the delivery of the NHSS
- establish a common language between health professionals, schools & artists
The
project ran from September 2005 – September 2007. It was funded by Leicestershire County Council’s Arts
Development team and Healthy Schools Strategy Manager and by Arts Council
England through Grants for the Arts.
Over the course of the project 19 artists were employed, 77 artist days were commissioned
& 1,740 children benefited.
The Big Difference Company (formerly Leicester Comedy Festival)
managed the project. 4 schools were involved & got to devise bespoke arts projects to address particular
health & well being issues within their schools. These were:
- Church Hill Infants School, Thurmaston worked with Louise Katerega (Dance Artist), Monica Fernandez (Visual Artist) & Anna Ryder (Musician) with a focus on Emotional Health & Well Being. The project ‘Chrysalis’ aimed to deal with issues around transition. It was delivered to children in reception year who were anxious at moving into Year 1. Read more about the Project.
- Hind Leys Community College, Shepshed worked with Dave Parkin (Metro-Boulot-Dodo) &Rob Gee (Poet) with a focus on anti-smoking, smoking cessation. Using music, drama & dance the students created a performance piece ‘The Board Room’ which was performed in the College & at other schools. An Arts & Health Day was also held at the school for which a number of additional artists were employed to look at various health issues.
- Outwoods Edge Community Primary School, Loughborough worked with Rob Gee, 3 visual artists & 2 gardeners looking at healthy eating, emotional health & well being & exercise. ‘cr8 & Grow’ featured a relaxation garden & a vegetable patch. Visual artists worked with children to produce mosaics depicting the life-cycle of plants which decorated the vegetable patch.
- Longfield High School worked with Independence & Louise Jaggard on ‘Hip Hop 2 Health’. This dance project aimed to increase confidence of students as part of an over-reaching aim of improving emotional health & well being.
Chrysalis has
had a positive effect on all the family, as we do more things together now” “He is so much the happiest
I have ever seen him 
- Mum of a 7 year old in Year 2 I have learned to work with new people
- Child participating in Chrysalis. Young audiences can often have their intelligence insulted.
This piece did not do that and therefore held the audience from start to finish
- Dave Parkin talking about The Boardroom) The children’s writing ability has improved 100%” “The SAT
results have both surprised & delighted us…this achievement is attributed directly to this project
- Debbie Tack, Healthy Learning Teaching Assistant, Outwoods Edge.Positive outcomes included:
- Teachers felt the use of the arts to deliver health messages was a good thing & that they would like to work on similar projects & events in the future.
- The children & young people involved increased in confidence.
- Listening skills & concentration improved.
- Participants had also become more articulate.
- Students gained a new insight into being able to consider the arts as a career option.
- Students felt it was beneficial to have strong health messages delivered by a peer group. This was not perceived as being ‘preaching’.
- The projects impacted on children’s home lives & raised awareness of healthy eating with friends & family.
For further information please contact Sallie
Wocha, Arts Development Officer, Email: Sallie.Wocha@leics.gov.uk or telephone:
0116 305 4115
Page Last Updated: 17 June 2011
