Creativity, community, and mental wellness are taking centre stage at Edge Hill as the University prepares to host a vibrant, free celebration marking a major milestone for youth mental health. The upcoming event concludes a phenomenal second year for Arts4Us, a ground-breaking initiative dedicated to using the power of the arts to support and uplift children and young people. The free community event will take place on Saturday, June 27, celebrating the successful conclusion of the second year of Arts4Us.
About Arts4Us
Arts4Us is one of the largest UKRI-funded projects focused on improving access to place-based arts initiatives for the mental health of children and young people. With a £2.5m investment, the project brings together more than 50 partners across health, education, the voluntary sector, and cultural industries.
Event Highlights
The end-of-year celebration at the University’s Arts Centre will provide a vibrant showcase of the project’s progress, bringing together researchers, students, practitioners, and advocates to discuss how creative activities can foster mental wellbeing. The day-long event will be moderated by the Young Arts4Us panel, a group of young co-researchers whose voices are central to the project’s co-produced approach.
Attendees can expect a dynamic programme featuring keynote talks, research insights, interactive workshops, and performances that bring the project’s findings to life. Professor Vicky Karkou, Arts4Us project lead and director of Edge Hill’s Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, said: “When it comes to children's mental health, we know that the arts and arts therapies have a role to play as prevention, early intervention, and treatment and management. However, access to quality arts provision is faced with systematic barriers. In this year's Arts4Us event, organised under the Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, we will celebrate some of the ways in which we can overcome these barriers. We will also engage in discussions, workshops, and presentations, creating art, visiting exhibitions and performances, and crucially, working closely with our young Arts4Us panel who will curate the day.”
Expert Insights and Exhibitions
The event will feature insights from world-leading experts, including Professor Daisy Fancourt (UNESCO Chair, UCL), Stephen Stapleton (Jameel Arts and Health Lab), and Professor Ananda Breed (UNESCO Chair, University of Lincoln). In addition to project research, the event will present the curated exhibition “This is Also Motherhood” by Carolyn Mendelsohn. This powerful exhibition explores the raw stories of women’s experiences of pregnancy and motherhood, organised in collaboration with the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), with an introduction by Baroness Luciana Berger. This exhibition is only open to people aged 14 years and above.
Booking and Details
This event is open to current students, practitioners, researchers, and arts providers interested in the future of creative health and youth wellbeing. Advance booking is recommended due to limited capacity. Find out more about the Arts4Us event and studying at Edge Hill University.
