Poem from Arji Manuelpillai.

Poem from Arji Manuelpillai.
Part of the National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing Launch of the Creative Health Review, live streamed on December 6th 2023, 4-6pm, from Science Gallery, King's College London.
Watch the full launch recording here - • Creative Health Review...
Arji Manuelpillai from Breathe Arts Health Research
For over 15 years Arji has worked with community arts projects nationally and internationally. This has given him the privilege of working with some of the world’s most interesting people. In everywhere from prisons and Immigration Removal centres to schools and youth clubs, Arji has continued to push creativity and self-expression. In recent years, he has worked for organisations including The Young Vic, The Southbank Centre, The Barbican and The Roundhouse. Arji's strengths lie in his ability to connect with people from all walks of life, to empathise and build lasting bonds. Arji prides himself on his ability to inspire and encourage self-expression using an array of games and exercises built up over years working with Drama, Storytelling, Music and Creative writing. He believes every art form has its benefits and advocates for the power of the arts to strengthen relationships in communities across the world. As well as being a passionate creative facilitator Arji is a published poet. His debut collection ‘Improvised Explosive Device’ was shortlisted for the Derek Walcott Prize, was noted in The Telegraph’s Top 20 poetry books of the year, as well as in The Guardian’s best recent poetry section. It was also the Winter PBS selection.
About the Creative Health Review Report Launch
The Chair of the Commission, Lord Howarth of Newport CBE, and Commissioners including Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Monty Don OBE, Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey OBE, Professor Martin Marshall CBE, James Sanderson, Rob Webster CBE, and Alice Wiseman spoke at the launch, and members of our Lived Experience panel talked about their personal experience of how creativity and cultural activities have benefitted their health and wellbeing. Professor Richard Trembath, representing King’s College London and King’s Health Partners, joined to reflect on the importance placed on Creative Health across the University and local health system and some early findings of the major SHAPER initiative. Also, we enjoyed poetry and music by artists from Breathe Arts Health Research.
Full Agenda and Biographies - ncch.org.uk/up...
About the Creative Health Review
The National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing launched a Creative Health Review on 13th October 2022 and held a series of themed roundtables between Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023.
The Creative Health Review highlights the potential for creative health to help tackle pressing issues in health, social care and more widely, including health inequalities and recovery from COVID-19. It demonstrates that creativity is not just a nice to have, but fundamental to individuals, communities and systems.
It supports people to live well for longer, reducing the pressure on health and social care systems and contributing to a healthy and prosperous society.
The Review makes recommendations to Government and Metro Mayors for a cross-departmental strategy on creative health, which will support creative health to flourish and maximise its potential across key policy areas.
More about the Creative Health Review - ncch.org.uk/cr...