Evaluation of 'Creative Transitions' - supporting young people through co-designed activity

An important part of the Great Place Scheme was the ‘Changing Lives’ strand of work. This comprised culture, health and wellbeing test and learn projects, development of social prescribing models, and case studies illustrating the process for creative commissioning. In the summer of last year we published a detailed report Connections Between Culture, Health & Wellbeing in Torbay 2020, which included evaluation of our Arts on Referral programme, and a review of the recent policy developments affecting this area of work.

More recently Torbay Culture commissioned work in collaboration with Torbay’s Public Health team and the Imagine This partnership to support the wellbeing of young people. Called ‘Creative Transitions’ these projects were co-designed by the young people who participated, and informed by the lessons learnt from the earlier Arts on Referral pilots.

‘Throughout this last year, this project has been the most impactful and well-attended online project for our young carers - it was a pleasure to be part of, and see how some of our young carers flourished by being involved. Also very chuffed that our last-minute brainwave of offering to Phab Club was such a success. Working with Cat and Sue at the planning stage was a joy - would love to be involved in future projects’. - Johanna Morrell, Director, Torbay Youth Trust

Thank you to all the participating young people, creative practitioners - including artist Anna Boland, Becci Eriksson and Gaby Lovatt at Participate Arts, Laura Forster and We Need Music CIC - colleagues in Public Health, and PHAB club. Special thanks to Cat Radford who has managed the Changing Lives strand of the Great Place Scheme with exceptional commitment.

We are pleased to share the independent evaluation by Mary Schwarz, someone with considerable experience of evaluating socially engaged practice and policy. The report with case studies can be accessed below. The individual case studies can also be downloaded under the Knowledge Share area of the website, where you can find other resources.

As part of the projects different materials were produced, including words and music, artwork and writing.

Below is the short showreel made during the visual arts project with young people who have special educational needs and disabilities, attending Torbay PHAB Club, delivered by Anna Boland.

Below is online gallery of art work made by young carers participating in the art journal project delivered by Participate Arts.

Below is the audio file of a lullaby created created by young parents participating in the project delivered by Laura Forster of We Need Music CIC.

Torbay’s Great Place Scheme was managed by Torbay Culture at TDA, and was part of the Great Place Scheme (England), supported with investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. The final overall evaluation of Torbay’s Scheme will be published in March; and the national evaluation, across all areas of England will follow later in the year.

Image: Creative Transitions project backpack. Artwork produced by project participant