An insight to Healing Arts: It Takes Two
What we do
Healing Arts programmes of art, music, puppetry, dance and poetry, which take place in hospital corridors, wards and out into community settings, are designed to support healing, to up-lift and offer a space for reflection or a time ‘to be’.
NCIC does not view Healing Arts as an ‘add on’ but vital to the overall wellbeing of all who access healthcare in Cumbria. To this end, selected programmes undergo evaluation and research to further understand how creative participation supports recovery, wellbeing and the hospital experience.
Who we are
We are a friendly bunch each specialising in different art forms to bring colour, joy and creativity to the wards!
Susie – programme manager
Susie’s specialist field is in dance and health and working with people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
She has extensive experience developing and managing publicly funded Arts in Health projects. On moving to the North of England in 2011 after working in New Zealand, she worked in Cumbria on an extensive dance project for people living with dementia along side a neuro- physiotherapist. This was the start of her development of projects in the region which now extend to dance for Parkinson’s in partnership with People Dancing and a dance for stroke programme, About Being. Both of these programmes work with Msc Occupational therapy students are in partnership with the University of Cumbria where Susie is an Honorary Lecturer at the faculty of health.
Between 2005 – 2008, Susie was director of the Foundation Course for Disabled Dance Students for the leading integrated dance company, Candoco. The course was the first of its kind in the world. Susie went on to advise Epic Arts, Cambodia, on the development of their inclusive arts course and between 2009 – 2011, established the education unit of Touch Compass, the leading inclusive dance company in New Zealand.
Alex – artist
Alex is a Contemporary Multi-Disciplinary and Fine Artist. She has over 25 years’ experience in delivering courses and workshops, and creative projects both in schools and in the community.
In 2018, Alex was commissioned by The Wordsworth Trust to developed a project, Being Dorothy, that was exhibited at the Trust as a part of a larger project, This Girl Did. Being Dorothy captured media interested and was showcased on Radio 4’S Woman’s Hour.
Alex exhibits her work both locally and nationally and has been accepted to London’s Mall Galleries as a part of the Pastel Society on several occasions.
Ali – artist
Ali is a theatre designer and puppeteer and before moving to Cumbria, designed for a range of theatre companies, touring nationally and internationally.
She was Artistic Director of Prism Arts for over 10 years, until July 2020, where she developed the Studio programme and led on commissions with a number of organisations including Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Dove Cottage and The Merz Barn, Cumbria.
Working with Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, she was lead artist on an extensive school project which was a finalist in the Cumbria Environment Awards.
Ali is co-artistic director with Victoria Maxfield of The Laal Collective, has worked freelance for Healing Arts since 2018 and is a guest lecturer at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
Jenn – artist
Jenn is a creative practitioner who started her career at Theatre by the Lake working in the Community and Outreach team.
Here she lead on Setting the Scene, a programme for people living with dementia; the work was researched and presented at the Healing Arts, Arts in Health Conference in 2019.
At Tullie House, Jenn established Meet Me at The Museum, and most recently Tuesdays Tonic. These groups are tailored creative wellbeing session for people living with dementia and their careers and older people experiencing loneliness.
Jenn has worked with Healing Arts since 2021 leading projects on wards.
Vicki – artist
Vicki began her theatre career in the Northeast, working in local theatres and Arts Centres.
Following her degree, she went on to work at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, in their Community and Outreach team. During this time, she worked on many community projects around North and West Cumbria, working in both school and community settings.
Vicki was Theatre and Performance Lead at Prism Arts for 9 years working with young people and adults with additional needs.
Vicki is co-artistic director with Alison McCaw of The Laal Collective in Wigton. In 2023 she started working with Healing Arts.
Sandie – programme advisor
Sandie is a dance artist, educator and researcher. Underpinning all her work is a belief in accessibility and excellence and the creative possibilities of collaboration.
As a practitioner Sandie has worked extensively on national and international performance and participatory projects specialising in dance theatre for young audiences, alternative spaces, and new audiences.
Alongside this work Sandie has worked as a Lecturer in Higher Education for over twenty-five years, teaching and leading undergraduate dance courses at University of Leeds-Bretton Hall, De Montfort University, Ulster University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and University of Cumbria.
As a practice-based researcher Sandie has spent the last 7 years working collaboratively with artists to raise the profile and practice of arts for health and wellbeing in Cumbria.
Sandie’s collaborative work with Susie Tate was shortlisted for an Educate the North Award, acknowledged for ‘best practice’ by Arts Council England and named as one of the top 100 ‘lifesavers’ health projects in the Made in Uni campaign. Sandie is currently studying for a PhD at Ulster University.