The health inequalities that the activities focused on were healthy eating, healthy hearts wellbeing (Mental health) and alcohol (aimed primarily at adults). The artists developed the following activities: Debra Tracey - tackling obesity (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) Making ‘eat well plate’ place mats using glue sticks, paper shapes or coloured markers. These laminated colourful A4 table mats introduced the 5 main food groups so that children could identify a food group they liked in each one. Chanje Kunda – Mental wellbeing (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) Count your blessings, valuing yourself and others through text art / collage. People chose something positive about themselves or something in their life that they liked and created a collage of the text using foil, tissue, and glitter to remind them of what makes them feel good. Rene Lumley – Healthy eating / physical activity (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) Artwork based on paper flags linked to a healthy eating theme creating decorative pennants for the café area using stickers, pens and decorative lettering. Neo Heny – Alcohol (Booze Buzz) (Saturday) The original consultation for the Booze Buzz involved asking professional people to leave a ‘Message in a Bottle’ on a luggage tag about their thoughts and feelings about alcohol use and consumption that we then hung on a tree branch at the event. This activity was adapted by cutting bottle shapes out of coloured card and asking (older) participants to leave a message on a bottle about drinking or alcohol or younger children to decorate with feathers and pens and glitter paints. Bottles were then strung like a garland around the café area. Feedback postcards were also completed with adults. (see appendix 5) Feedback summary The Creative Café artists delivered over 445 visual arts activities primarily with children and families over the 3 days (8 hours total contact time). The activities were on average between 10 and 20 minutes each and involved both meaningful discussion of health issues and wonderful creative expression. This created a welcoming and creative atmosphere in the café. The range of activities proved to be popular with both girls and boys alike and some children engaged not only in every activity, but came back every day. The wider engagement with the festival audience through giving out goody bags, fruit and water was also an important element of the project and linked well with the Food and Health team and Health Trainers. The Fruit Machine game delivered by Squash Nutrition at the Saturday event received universal praise from the 293 children and family members who played it and took a ‘fruit salad pot’ away to eat. Decorating the café as a gallery with the artwork provided an extra visual element to the café and was popular with participants who were proud to have their artwork displayed before they took it home. The Creative Café provided positive health messages around public health issues in a creative and lively setting. The children and families benefited from the arts activities in terms of their mental wellbeing by making a creative contribution, taking a break and expressing their feelings. The Café also provided an opportunity for the artists involved to develop their arts and health practice through collaborative working within a community festival setting.
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