Creative Futures: Creative Health and Wellbeing Day

Day Two: Creative Health and Wellbeing Day

For practitioners, beneficiaries, researchers, funders, and community and voluntary partners interested in how creativity is transforming young lives and supporting wellbeing.

This platform brings together Gloucestershire's creative community for connection, learning, inspiring stories, and open discussion. There will be live performances spread throughout the day from some of the young people that have been involved in our programmes and creative health research. 

Event schedule:

10:00 - Doors open

10:30 - Opening remarks and welcome

11:00 - Panel 1: The power of connection: Relationships and belonging at the heart of Creative Health

Meaningful relationships, community belonging, and trust form the foundation for positive change in young people's lives. This panel explores how creative interventions create safe spaces for connection, why belonging matters as much as the creative activity itself, and how practitioners can build and sustain the relationships that support vulnerable young people facing complex challenges.

/// Lyndsay Davies - Director of National Programmes, The Music Works

/// Misha Law – Health Lead & Music Therapist, The Music Works

/// Nathan Dennis – Founder, First Class Foundation & Co-Director, Legacy Consultants

/// Laura Lewis-Paul – Founder/Director of Culture, Saffron Music

/// Dan Tsu – Creative Director, Lyrix Organix

/// Char Grant – Executive Director, Babychild Music

12:10 - Panel 2: Proving what we know: Capturing the impact of creativity

Practitioners know intuitively that creativity transforms lives - but how do we demonstrate this to funders and policymakers? This panel tackles evaluation and impact measurement, sharing practical approaches to capturing meaningful outcomes and exploring how to balance robust evidence with the organic, person-centered nature of creative work.

/// Amabel Mortimer - Strategic Director, ND Hub Gloucestershire

/// Dr Farai Makoni – Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, University of Gloucestershire

/// Dr Matthew Sitch – Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of Gloucestershire

/// Lee Holder – Disability Lead / Head of Workforce, The Music Works

/// Georgina Fox - Senior Mental Health Practitioner, The Horsfall

/// Hannah Gorf – Senior Programme Manager, Health Communities and Individuals, NHS Gloucestershire

13:10 - Lunch & networking

13:55 - Exclusive documentary screening

14:10 - Panel 3: Creativity as a force for system change

Creative practice doesn't just transform individual lives - it has the power to reshape entire systems. This panel brings together young people and decisionmakers to explore how creativity can drive meaningful system change, examining what it takes to embed creative practice and how young people can move from service users to system shapers.

/// Simon Opher – Labour MP for Stroud

/// Malaki Patterson – CEO, The Music Works

/// Hollie Smith Charles - Director of Creative Health & Change, Arts Council England

/// Effie Kriel – Spoken Word Artist

/// Kay Kouhdaree – Youth Social Action Participant

///Logan Gibbins - Gloucestershire ND Youth Council

15:30 - Drinks and networking

16:30 - Event finishes

A complimentary lunch and refreshments will be provided. We look forward to welcoming you to The Music Works!

If you would like to book more than 4+ tickets please get in touch with creativefutures@themusicworks.org.uk