Finding funding for creative health practice

In a partnership project with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy, Cohere Arts are pleased to be offering a free online training workshop for creatives and producers interested in finding funding to support creative health practice. The training is for:

• East Anglian artists and producers across any discipline, all levels of experience

• Smaller arts organisations, CICs and non profits based in East Anglia

Led by two of Cohere Arts’ most experienced practitioners; Artistic/Executive Director Dr Amy Mallett and singing for health expert Nicola Wydenbach, the 2.5 hour workshop will include:

• Where to find funding for creative health projects/practice – local/national/grants/commissions/partnerships and collaborations
• Tips on building realistic budgets and writing effective applications – getting to grips with health language and terminology
• How to collect and use evaluation data to support funding applications and proposals
• Opportunities to connect with local practitioners and small organisations

Held on zoom, this interactive course will end with a workshop session to gather ideas and gauge interest in a potential Creative Health Artists East Anglia network. A follow-up newsletter will connect all attendees and promote the formation of the new network.

After spending many years working within education, Amy now has a varied cross-sector career within creative health, drawing on experience working for UK organisations including Clod Ensemble's Performing Medicine, Britten Pears Arts, English National Ballet, Singing for Health Network and the NHS. Amy's PhD thesis examines interdisciplinary collaboration within musical theatre. Her research interests include creativity as a catalyst for change and growth; in particular how performative experiences can positively impact health and wellbeing.

In 2021, she founded Cohere Arts, a CIC providing opportunities for communities marginalised through health challenge or disability to engage with arts and heritage. Since founding the company she has raised £450k to support creative health provision in East Anglia and beyond.

Nicola is a graduate of the RCM where she was supported by a scholarship from Diva Opera. She has sung for ENO, Opera Rara, Scottish Opera, the Monteverdi Choir, Philharmonia Voices and London Voices. She has performed the roles of Russian Mother and Newspaper seller in Death in Venice at the Aldeburgh and Bregenz Festivals, created the role of Nymph in Ludd and Isis for ROH Education as well as performing the soprano solos for Streetwise Opera Fables. Nicola is an experienced oratorio soloist having worked for societies throughout England.

A leading UK expert in singing for health, Nicola is Director of Training for SingToBeat Parkinson's and Musical Director of the Mind and Soul Choir. She leads numerous singing groups and practitioner training courses across the UK. Nicola has worked on English National Opera's Breathe and Cohere Arts' Creative Space programmes; both supporting the recovery of people living with long covid. Nicola has been a successful fundraiser for many years; most recently raising funds to release an innovative singing app supporting vocal health for people living with Parkinson's.

We provide opportunities for communities (particularly people living with health challenges and disabilities) to meaningfully engage with arts and culture. We do this through:

• Original performance works

We create inclusive, high-quality heritage-inspired performance works that connect people to where they live. Music is a strong thread through all our work, and accessibility is integrated throughout our creative process.

• Creative health activities

Our creative health programme is informed by clinical and academic evidence around the positive impacts of cultural engagement and its potential to improve health and wellbeing. We develop responsive, co-produced activities that empower people to use creativity as a route to a happier, healthier life.

• Knowledge sharing

All our creative associates are specialist arts-health facilitators as well as practising artists. As a learning organisation, we actively seek to share our collective cross-sector knowledge on local, national and international platforms.

Find out more about our work here

Event Venue

Online