September network gathering at Arnolfini, Bristol
18th September 2026 | 10am -1pm | Arnolfini, Bristol
This event was in person in the inspiring setting of Arnolfini, Bristol, on Friday, 18th of September
and was a morning of networking, learning and hands-on workshops. Over 70 people attended on the day and the engagement and contributions were much appreciated by all our facilitators and speakers throughout.
The network gathering focussed on Creative Health in practice, and welcomed guest speaker
Jane Willis, a Creative Health consultant, coach and mentor with over 30 years' experience of sector delivery and development.
Jane co-led the development of the
Creative Health Quality Framework, and she talked through the different ways it can support your everyday practice.
The second part of the morning featured several pre-booked workshops where guests were able to discover more about key areas of Creative Health and delivery.
We are very grateful to Arnolfini for hosting us on this occasion; wellbeing is central to the Arnolfini's offer and approach, and during the day there was opportunities to view their current exhibitions which explored themes of care and mental health.
1. Arnolfini - Polly Braden:
Against the Tide session
An interactive tour of the exhibition followed by time for group discussions and creative writing considering a key theme from the exhibition, the importance of creativity for people and places to thrive.
2. Arnolfini - Jonathan Baldock:
Held session
A multi-sensory tour of the exhibition followed by a relaxed session to create your own cross stitch message, embodying Jonathan Baldock's practice of uniting the head and the hand.
Workshops 1 & 2 were facilitated by Keiko Higashi, Head of Engagement and Eleanor Sanghara Gustard, Engagement Producer at Arnolfini; giving a practical taster of how wellbeing practices are imbedded in the programmes that take place at Arnolfini.
3. Jane Willis - What Is Enough?
This reflective, interactive workshop explores the Creative Health Quality Framework (CHQF) principle Realistic through our shared experiences of navigating ‘enough’ and ‘too much’. The session creates space to pause, reflect and connect through shared experiences of sustaining ourselves in complex and demanding environments. It is appropriate for all working in this field – volunteers, artists, creative health leaders, managers and practitioners, as well as healthcare and other allied professionals.
Participants will be invited to explore their own experiences of balance, overwhelm, nourishment and depletion, and consider what the Creative Health Quality Principle of “Realistic” might mean in their own lives and practice. The session will be informed by trauma-aware principles and facilitated with care. Participants will be offered choice around how they engage, including opportunities to listen, reflect privately, share with others, or contribute to wider discussion.
4. Jess Baum: Shaping Creative Health - A clay-based exploration of the “active ingredients” needed for people to have positive arts-for-health experiences
This creative workshop invites you to explore the “active ingredients” (Warran, Burton & Fancourt, 2022) that determine people’s experiences of arts for health activities.
Combining a little theory and a lot of clay, Jess will present University College London’s Social Biobeahvioural Research Group’s INNATE framework (ibid.). She’ll use it as a springboard for you to join an arts-based group process and discussion, where we’ll wonder together about the “139 potential active ingredients” determined by this research that may lead to positive effects on people’s wellbeing. Join us for a constructive, creative and informative session where research meets creative health in action.
Jess Baum is an independent art psychotherapist and creative health practitioner. She works at the intersections of the art therapy profession and the arts-for-health sector, helping to design, develop and deliver services, collaborating with communities and consulting with organisations including creativeShift and the NHS.
5. Julie Matthews & Philippa Forsey: Introduction to Creative Health in Practice
Join Julie and Philippa, co-producers of the creativeEmerge training programme for creative health practitioners, for this introductory workshop exploring creative health practice through experiencing and analysing the format of an 'arts on referral' session.
Particularly suitable for those newer to the sector or interested in getting involved. The session will cover: the participant experience, modelling a creative health session, creative evaluation tools, and methods and mechanisms of creative health facilitation.
Julie is co-director of creativeShift and co-chair of WECHN, with over 20 years experience as a creative health practitioner.
Philippa was Creative Wellbeing Service lead for Creativity Works for over 20 years and is experienced in co-creating arts and health solutions within local and regional health and wellbeing agendas.
About Arnolfini
Arnolfini is Bristol’s International Centre for Contemporary Arts located on the harbourside in the heart of the city. The Arnolfini has strong partnerships with arts and referral and health partners across Bristol, including Fresh arts, creativeShift CIC, Off the Record, Hawkspring, Hospital Rooms, Active Recovery, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and OutsideIn. Through these partnerships Arnolfini offers over 100 creative wellbeing sessions a year to over 2000 participants a year.
This July, the gallery launched their brand-new Light Studio, a dedicated space for creative wellbeing, made possible with the generous support of Maggie Glastonbury..
"The wellbeing of our visitors, community and staff are central to our offer and approach at Arnolfini, demonstrated in the environment and programmes we create, encouraging visitors to rest and take some time out for themselves"
