Guided by the wellbeing goals of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and embracing its five ways of working, we have cultivated innovative and meaningful partnerships with leading health and social care organisations in Wales and beyond.
Our approach is one of collaboration, co-production and co-ownership. Together, we share a belief in the power of the arts to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales.
Welsh NHS Confederation
The Welsh NHS Confederation is the only national membership body representing all NHS Wales organisations. The Welsh NHS Confederation and the Arts Council of Wales have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to raise awareness of the benefits that the arts can have on people’s health and wellbeing and to embed arts and health initiatives across the NHS in Wales. As part of that MoU, Welsh NHS Confederation advises on NHS engagement and priorities to ensure our arts and health programmes remain relevant and impactful.
The Baring Foundation
This independent foundation protects and advances human rights and promotes inclusion. Since 2020, the Baring Foundation has focused its Arts programme on creative opportunities for people with mental health problems. Following our successful collaboration for cARTrefu, the arts in care homes project, we have co-funded projects centred on the arts and mental health. This alliance sees us enable health boards in Wales to work with artists and art organisations to discover ways to improve the lives of people with mental health conditions.
Wales’ health boards
Wales’ seven health boards and three NHS trusts (listed below) play a crucial and strategic role in all of our arts and health work across the country. Each is increasingly engaged in exploring how arts and creativity can support and improve the health and well-being of their patients, communities and staff as part of a holistic package of care, with at least one dedicated arts and health coordinator post at each of the seven boards funded by our capacity-building programme.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Powys Teaching Health Board
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Velindre University NHS Trust
Public Health Wales
Public Health Wales is an NHS body and the national public health institute in Wales. It plays an important role in driving improvements in population health and well-being, reducing health inequalities, improving healthcare outcomes, protecting the public and supporting the development of health in all policies across Wales.
Wales Arts, Health and Wellbeing Network
The rapid growth of the Wales Arts Health & Wellbeing Network (WAHWN) is driving Wales’ arts and health progress on the ground by providing training, networking opportunities and sharing case studies and best practice across the country. Its network is rapidly expanding and adds value to our arts and health work by helping bring arts, health and social care practitioners together to share knowledge, learning and ideas that will build confidence and capacity across the sector.
Social Care Wales
Social Care Wales is an organisation that works with people who use care and support services and organisations to lead improvement in social care in Wales. Social Care Wales helps us raise awareness of the benefits that the arts can have on people’s health and wellbeing and to embed arts and health initiatives across the social care sector in Wales.
Nesta Cymru
Nesta is the UK’s innovation agency for social good. One of its mission areas is to increase the average number of healthy years lived in the UK while narrowing health inequalities. Nesta Cymru has co-funded arts and health innovation projects with us for several years, often acting as our lead innovation partner.
Health Education and Improvement Wales
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is dedicated to transforming the workforce for a healthier Wales. The Special Health Authority within NHS Wales has a leading role in the education, training, development, and shaping of the healthcare workforce in Wales, to ensure high-quality care for the people of Wales. We have supported several HEIW projects designed to support the health and wellbeing of health care workers in Wales.