Blue

Thursday 12th October at 6pm 
The Lightbox @Barnsley Libraries 

We're thrilled to be running our October Speak Our Music session at the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance’s national conference 

Speak Our Music is a relaxed space to talk about all things music, mental health, and wellbeing. If you’re interested in music and the music industry, you’re welcome to come along.  

Sessions are hosted by an experienced artist who demonstrates their speciality and hosts a discussion about how music impacts our mental health and wellbeing. 

Alongside our artist hosts, some of our regular session attendees will also be on hand to facilitate the event bringing their personal knowledge and experience from previous discussions in the programme.  

The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance conference is a three-day conference for people who are interested in creativity/ culture, health and wellbeing and working collectively to bring about social change.  

This could include those with lived experience, freelancers, arts, culture and heritage organisations, as well as researchers, health professionals and those from the local authority, voluntary and community sectors. 

If you think you might be interested in attending the conference visit the Eventbrite to read more and book tickets. 

https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/  

The Big Draw Festival 2022
Come back to colour

Make your mark and draw with us on a giant piece of paper using natural materials, home made inks, and a plethora of inspiring plants. Together we'll create a huge communal drawing celebrating coming back together and using colour.

Wednesday 26 October
1 - 3pm

West Yorkshire Print Workshop The Piazza Centre, Huddersfield, HD1 2RS

FREE entry
 

hoot creative arts welcome new health & wellbeing co-ordinator ahead of Kirklees Year of Music 2023

hoot creative arts has welcomed Sharleen Shaha into the team as a Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator and Producer for Kirklees Year of Music 2023 (KYOM23).

hoot is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and in 2020 were appointed as the Health and Wellbeing lead for Kirklees Year of Music 2023 - a unique, place-based, cultural change year-long programme of major events and durational initiatives, which will strengthen the music ecology of Kirklees from its roots. 

The recent appointment will initiate and bring together the production of music events and wellbeing activities for KYOM23. Sharleen will focus on developing activities and events with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of those across the region who take part through engagement with music.

Collaborating with stakeholders in the health and care sector and practising musicians and cultural organisations, Sharleen will be developing a working programme, securing funding and liaising with the KYOM23 team to strategically link all the strands together, such as the community and educational work and celebrate innovative practice in the Kirklees.

Sharleen is a qualified Independent Mental Capacity Advocate and Independent Mental Health Advocate. She has worked in Mental Health for 12 years across South and West Yorkshire, with experience in mental health and art therapy, research and project management as well as producing events for festivals.   

Commenting on her new appointment, Sharleen said: “Mental health and wellbeing are very important to me so working with the people of Kirklees to promote music as a tool for wellbeing is very exciting. I am an advocate for choice and working-class storytelling. I feel that theatre, music, and the arts can be used as a tool to make changes for individuals and communities”.

Find out more about Sharleen and other members of the KYOM23 team here: https://www.musicinkirklees.co.uk/our-team/

hoot is open as normal but please take care on your journeys today and let us know if you can't make it. 

Stay safe & warm - the hoot team

Every few months we check in with how things are going in our Adult Creativity & Mental Health service Out of the Blue, and our Arts and Dementia service, Breathing Space. We find out what people are enjoying and how attending hoot activities are making a difference to them and their wellbeing. 

I’m a real hoot enthusiast. Something to look forward to in the week, hoot has saved my life a few times. hoot really has been a godsend through lockdown. It has been the best thing to look forward to each week.

hoot from home sessions really have helped me feel connected to the outside world - without hoot I would feel completely disconnected.

Thanks for ringing it has been so nice to have a friendly voice at the end of the line for a change. It has been difficult for me but do you know these calls i have had from hoot have kept me going.

It’s so good to be back together as a group,we really miss it & can’t wait until we canmeet up again regularly.

Read more in our reports from each Quarter so far this year:

April - June 2021 Quarter 1 Report

July - September 2021 Quarter 2 Report

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