Hannah shares this latest news from Independent Arts. Ed
Isle of Wight charity Independent Arts was invited to give evidence to Parliament last week on the impact of arts and culture on older people involved in their Arts Council funded project Time & Tide.
This was an exciting chance to influence policy at the highest level.
How the Arts can improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness
Project Manager Hannah Griffiths gave a presentation to the room full of MPs and sector peers about how access to the arts can improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness.
Time & Tide’s focus is to unlock creativity in older people on the Isle of Wight by inviting them to dive into the Island’s arts and heritage, trying their hand at everything from watercolours to photography to large-scale sculpture.
Hannah said,
“It was an honour to be invited to speak at the House of Commons on our most recent project Time & Tide. I was able to talk about the huge impact on the lives of our artists.
“It was important to emphasise that learning new skills has had a massive impact on the confidence and wellbeing of the people involved, as well as helping to form friendships and reduce loneliness.
“It was a chance to bring real people to the debate. One delegate commented she would have liked to have been involved in a project as wide ranging and exciting as Time & Tide.”
The meeting was held by the All-Parliamentary Committees (APPGs) for Ageing and Older People; Arts, Health and Wellbeing.
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Robert Seely, also addressed the meeting.
Find out more
Independent Arts is a thriving Island charity that involves 1800 people every month in arts for wellbeing projects.
To learn more, get involved or support the charity, please visit the Website.
