Some of the team at our Aberden office recently enjoyed an arts session in their working day to launch Art in Work. Two artists led a fun filled morning at Acumen Financial Planning to champion ‘ART IN WORK’.
Art in Work is an exciting art and wellbeing initiative for local businesses across the north east that will see staff participating in artist-led workshops whilst supporting people receiving care in hospitals through – Grampian Hospital Arts Trust.
GHAT is collaborating with Cassie Consults and Mary Butterworth at ELEV8ARTS to deliver this project. This new initiative will provide companies with creative workshops for employees, and a high quality work of art to display at work. Staff will have the opportunity to explore their individual creativity whilst working with a designated local artist to produce an ‘Art in Work’.
The final art piece could be in a variety of forms e.g. a painting, building mural, sculpture, written word installation. Staff will work with a local artist to create a piece which will help enrich their work environment whilst supporting GHAT and their Artroom ward project and gallery services across the North East of Scotland.
Acumen Financial Planning has supported GHAT since 2013 and were keen to help with the launch of this new initiative. The team created their own works over a two-hour session facilitated by an artist who works on the GHAT patient-centred Artroom project. The staff said they felt happy, relaxed, joyful and creative after the session.
Art in the workplace increases staff wellbeing and has been proven to increase productivity (Haslam & Knight) as well. The benefits to wellbeing from creativity are for everyone, everywhere –
- Work-related burnout and stress cause enormous costs to employers and the society. The potential of art activities as a source of both well-being and productivity at the workplace hasn’t yet been sufficiently recognized or used. Art belongs in all work communities.
- The more people engage in the arts and culture the better their perceived mental and physical health is.
- Traditionally places of employment have purchased art to be displayed at the workplace. There are also other ways to bring art into work communities. Artists and arts can serve as developers of the work community and enhancers of well-being. We encourage work communities to explore the potential offered by art and cultural activities.
- According to international research, art activities in the work community can have notable positive effects on the wellbeing of the staff.
Art and Wellbeing and Grampian Hospitals Art Trust
GHAT arose from the simple idea that improving the hospital environment by displaying art made everyone who spent time in the buildings feel better. GHAT strives to highlight culture as a central component of wellbeing and is a sector leader in developing bespoke arts projects for people visiting, working or utilising the services within hospitals and healthcare. Art has been proved repeatedly to have a significant impact on the wellbeing of people who are unwell. In the recent Creative Health Report 2017 – Rt Hon Lord Howarth said, “The time has come to recognise the powerful contribution the arts can make to our health and wellbeing.”
Sally Thomson, Director of GHAT said, “These arts sessions within the workplace mirror the ‘Artroom’ project that GHAT delivers within wards for patients and their carers. By inviting artists into the workplace, staff will gain an insight into the benefits of our work in the hospitals of the North East as well as enhancing their wellbeing whilst at work
We want to reach out to local businesses to take part in a unique programme that is all about investing in staff’s wellbeing and enriching a company’s environment.
More details on the Art In Work programme can be found here.