A gift of Hope for Community Creative Health Festival
It’s not long since we have written about our Hope culture programme and how we work to champion a creative approach through community activities that connect research, health, art and culture. We are excited that this year we were able to partner with the People Like Us Creative Health Festival taking place virtually from 6th-12th July 2020.
The name for this year’s is inspired by bringing to the forefront the people who use creativity to help self manage the everyday stresses of life alongside their long term health condition or disability. Our core work focuses on supporting people with long-term conditions to cope with many of life’s challenges, frustrations, fears and isolation so we jumped at the opportunity.
“We are grateful to Melissa and Kerri for giving us to opportunity to partner in this year’s festival. The pandemic and lockdown period is having an impact on everybody’s life. All of us had to become creative in many ways - be it getting used to staying at home, doing the social distancing dance, juggling work , homeschooling or coping with disrupted services. We hope that our little Gift of Hope will offer useful tools and tips to cope better in these uncertain times.”
All festival visitors will be offered a Gift of Hope - a taster of our flagship Hope Programme self-management course, in this instance compiled specifically for the wellbeing of creative minds. In five interactive sessions you can explore tips and techniques to become more relaxed, improve your confidence, learn new skills to tackle worries that you may experience in the lockdown. There are quizzes, audio and video materials, interactive gratitude and goal setting, spaces for sharing your own story and even social networking!
Starting on 6th July 2020, the online course will remain open for 3 weeks. The course is accessible from smartphone, tablet or computer. You can learn at your own pace - release next sessions as you progress through - set own goals and finish the course quickly or take your time.
To ensure that everyone feels safe, you will be asked to:
Create and account - you will then receive an activation link to the email you provided
Click the link and set your own password
Login and start your Hope journey
As part of the course and the festival there will also be a live mindfulness meditation session led by the wonderful Dr Liz Sparkes who runs mindfulness meditations on the Hope Programme regularly. Liz is a Health Psychologist and Mindfulness teacher. She lectures at Coventry University and is the course director for the MSc Mindfulness and Compassion. Her 45 minute body scan mindfulness meditation will take place on Wednesday 8th July 2020 at 10.30. It will be delivered via Zoom and you can book on it here.
There are some amazing activities planned throughout the week. Join online to meet people who are using their art and creativity to make a difference on people's mind body and soul. Designed and made by the people for the people!
Activities will be online via Zoom, Facebook and Instagram LIVE
Most of the sessions will require a ticket through Eventbrite - hurry places are limited!
All updates will be through our social media channels -
People Like Us Insta, People Like Us Twitter, Feel Good Com Facebook Feel Good Com Blog
