Hello and welcome to this creative arts SSC. I am looking forward to meeting you all and inviting you into the rich world of arts and medicine and the spaces in between.
This course is a unique opportunity for you as medical students to keep your creative side alive through experiencing arts based health practices. You do not need to have well-developed creative talents just a willingness to engage with and explore the creative process.
Stories of patients engaging the creative process in different ways will be shared. You are invited to learn about the therapeutic value of creative exploration for patients in an experiential way (i.e. you have a go at writing or painting etc) rather than finding out from a textbook or lecture. Your reflection and creative expression may also contribute to your own self-awareness, both personally and professionally. Engaging your imagination in the stories of others might help you in the future as you walk alongside those who are sick and vulnerable. Learning also happens as a group, learning from and with each other as you share your perspectives and experiences.
This course will be run in person as well as with some virtual sessions (see below). For virtual sessions we expect you to turn up with your videos on as this is essential for presence in the group work and kindness and psychological safety for each other. Please can you connect with your laptop if at all possible so that the whole group can see each other and fully engage.
Prof Louise
This placement introduces you to the field of the arts and creative enquiry within the themes of:
human flourishing
person-centred care
By the end of this course you should have:
Explored the interface between the arts and medicine
Experienced different art forms in personal expression
Considered the complexity and interpersonal and cultural dimensions of clinical practice
Explored wellbeing and human flourishing through the arts
You will have the opportunity to respond to created works of others and engage actively in the creative process itself. The art forms used may include writing, drawing/painting, photography, music, performance and clay-work.
Room bookings to follow - likely Garrod or Mile End - face to face for all meetings except Thurs 26th
Mon 23rd Mar 12.30 - 15.30 Intro to creative enquiry and flourishing Louise Younie, Agalya Ramanathan, Estelle Mills
Tues 24th Mar 09.00 - 11.00 Collage Drawing Creativity Hugh Grant-Peterkin
Weds 25th Mar 09.00 - 11.00 Collage Drawing Creativity Hugh Grant-Peterkin
Weds 25th Mar 11.15 - 12.45 Creative writing Louise Younie
Thurs 26th Mar 10.00 - 12.00 Flourishing with patient artists Zoom Gavin Blench and Natasha Duggan (& LY)
Fri 27th Mar 11.00 - 13.00 Creative arts and mental health Maria Turri
Mon 13th Apr TBC could be from 9 - 5.... will update as soon as confirmed. Group work on Arts for health.
Tues 14th Apr 10.30 - 15.30 Patients as our teachers Catherine Lamont-Robinson
Weds 15th Apr Preparing final creative enquiry piece to share and small group presentation on arts for health
Thurs 16th Apr Preparing final creative enquiry piece to share and small group presentation on arts for health
Fri 17th Apr 10.00 - 12.30 Presentations and wounded healer Louise Younie
Deadline for QMPLUS and SSC hand in (send to louise.younie@qmul.ac.uk )
1) Roy Alexander Briggs Primary Care prize
2) Publication Journal of Holistic Healthcare - many student examples in this Flourishing edition https://bhma.org/product/flourishing-in-medical-education/
3) Presentation at SAPC (Society of Academic Primary Care) - national or South East next academic year