Stockport Arts & Health: archives

Materials relating to the Stockport Arts & Health (SA&H) organisation and projects undertaken; includes correspondence, meeting minutes and notes, funding proposals, evaluations, patient referrals, reports, planning documents, conference material, appointment diaries, publicity material (print and audiovisual), exhibition material, background publications, photographs, slides, and artistic outputs.

1990-2008

17 archive boxes, 1 oversize archive box, 3 oversize folders, 1 set of textile prints, 1 VHS tape, 1 audiocassette, 1 audio CD, 1 framed artwork, 1364 digital files

The Stockport Arts & Health archive had to be rescued from destruction upon closure of the programme, and was donated to the Wellcome Library in a state of some disarray. The majority of files were not labelled.

It is catalogued in sections largely determined by 1) a substantial proportion of material relating to a subject or project having remained grouped together within the archive, e.g. SAH Steering Group or MIND Arts Project in Stockport (MAPS), 2) annotation of documents suggesting that material relating to a project was intended to have been filed together, e.g. Reminiscence Art Project or Arts on Prescription or 3) by type of material, e.g. Correspondence or Reports and Plans.

Donated on 17 August 2015.

Stockport Arts & Health (SA&H) was established in April 1993 to promote and support arts initiatives within Stockport's health service, including collaboration on joint projects with local borough departments and voluntary organisations.

SA&H was originally based at the Royal Devonshire Hospital, Buxton, where the SPA Arts project had been launched two years earlier; SPA Arts subsequently became a component of SA&H. In 1998 SA&H moved to a former ward at St Thomas Hospital, Stockport, and in 1999 the ward was converted to the Stockport Centre for Arts and Health, an exhibition and workshop space. Stockport Arts & Health closed suddenly in 2006 when its funding was withdrawn.

During its tenure SA&H developed many projects in collaboration with a variety of agencies, including:

'It's a RAP!' Reminiscence Arts Project for older people - a multimedia project working with patients, staff and carers at St Thomas, Cherry Tree and The Meadows hospitals. A collection of poetry and art, entitled Lost Found Time, was generated by this project.

'Arts on Prescription' - a mental health programme in which people with mild to moderate anxiety or depression were referred to art workshops as an alternative to medication. This well-received initiative was rolled out to other NHS areas, including the Isle of Wight.

Primary Care Projects - a series of projects in which artists worked collaboratively with local people and NHS Staff to create artworks for Community and Mental Health Centres.

Hospital Projects - in particular multiple projects at Stepping Hill Hospital, including collaboration with architects, designers, patients, staff and schools on the development of the new Tree House Children's Centre unit.

Part of the Arts for Health collections (ref: ART).

This collection has been catalogued and is available to library members. Some items have access restrictions which are explained in the item-level catalogue records.

A number of Arts and Health organisations deposited their collections at Manchester Metropolitan University to form what was known as the Arts for Health archive. In 2015, these papers were donated to Wellcome Library and subsequently divided into the following collections, with a unifying 'ART' prefix in the reference number. These collections are in the process of being catalogued; search the archives catalogue using the collection reference number for further information.

Arts for Health archive: the main organisational archive of Arts for Health; "ART/AFH".

Healing Arts, Isle of Wight archive: Papers of Healing Arts, Isle of Wight from its establishment in 1984 up to 2012; "ART/IOW"..

Mike White archive: Papers relating to Mike White's work for Arts for Health while at Gateshead Council and Durham University; "ART/MIW"

Langley Brown archive: Papers relating to Langley Brown's work for Manchester Hospital Arts (now Lime), and for Start (Sheltered Training in the Arts); "ART/LAB".

Stockport Arts and Health archive: Papers of Stockport Arts and Health, 1990-2008; "ART/SAH".

Aiden Shingler archive: Papers of Aiden Shingler, relating to his work with Arts for Health; "ART/ASH"..

Graham Cooper archive: Cooper's working notes and research folders for projects on effects of hospital architecture on patient wellbeing and care; "ART/COO".

Lime Arts archive: Papers of Lime Arts, 1973-2007; "ART/LIM".

Artlink West Yorkshire: Organisational records, 1984-2010, "ART/AWY".

In addition, some grey literature and publications have been added to the Library's holdings, and can be searched for in the Library catalogue by searching "Donor: Arts for Health"