Creative Futures: Creative Health and Wellbeing Day

CF Health Day

Creative Futures is a two-day conference exploring the power of music from two perspectives – both as a creative music industry and as a pathway to health and wellbeing. This platform brings together Gloucestershire’s creative community for connection, learning, inspiring stories, and open discussion across two focused days:

Day Two: Creative Health and Wellbeing Day

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

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
12:10 – Panel 2: Proving what we know: Capturing the impact of creativity
13:10 – Lunch & networking
13:55 – Exclusive documentary screening
14:10 – Panel 3: Creativity as a force for system change
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!

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

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

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

Access

Creative Futures will take place at The Music Works – Gloucester Hub in Kings Square, Gloucester. The building is on the second floor and is fully accessible throughout.