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Our Evolve programme provides artists with the skills to make the leap into delivering creative health activities, using their talents to help others unlock their own creativity.
Evolve Workshops
In 2024-25, a series of workshops designed specifically for Medway was delivered by local creative health expert Laura Bailey. They were designed to give artists the knowledge, tools and confidence they need to run successful creative health programmes locally. The sessions combined group discussions, guest speakers and creative activities, providing top-tips and signposting participants to additional resources and further reading. A set of digital resources capturing the knowledge shared in these sessions is available here:
Get involved
“The Evolve commission inspired me to further develop my cross-cultural, intergenerational, environmental arts practice, in learning how we can bring local, diverse communities together in healthier, achievable and sustainable ways.”
~ Jay M. Patel
Evolve Commissions
We commissioned 7 artists who are developing their skills as creative health practitioners to deliver new programmes of activity across Medway. As well as receiving funding from us, they each received a bespoke programme of mentoring and support to help them make the most of this opportunity.
Kate Mechedou:
Kate Mechedou is a professional theatre-maker with Mrs Baker’s Medway Theatre Company and runs the Arches Local weekly community singalong. Kate’s project offers singing workshops for those living with COPD. Kate will learn techniques for sharing the joy and benefits of singing for those with this respiratory disorder from Singing for Health, and explore rigorous evaluation techniques with Music4Health.
Libbie Watson:
Libbie Watson is a freelance artist and workshop facilitator based in Kent and Medway, with over ten years of experience working and engaging with young people and community organisations. Her Evolve project will use visual arts to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people living with long-term health conditions and/or those in hospitals in Medway while aiming to reduce social isolation among this age group.
“Without this funding, I would not have had the chance to co-design a project with young people aged 11–25 to support their mental health and improve their resilience through creativity. Taking part in this programme has also confirmed that creative health is where I’d like to focus my practice.”
Paramjot Kaur:
Paramjot specialises in drawing detailed photorealistic art. Since starting an organisation dedicated to supporting elders from the South Asian community she has become interested in how creative practices can support health and wellbeing. Paramjot’s work responds to a critical need to support those living with dementia. In her project, Paramjot will learn from dementia-specialist and creative health practitioners to plan and deliver creative arts workshops with older people, focusing on those living with dementia.
“I’ve learned to design multi-sensory experiences that ensure everyone can engage in their own way.”
Philly Rose Scott:
Philly Rose Scott is a Guyanese-British Cultural and Creative Producer, Writer, and Director based in Medway, whose work focuses on underrepresented stories and mental health. Her new project Nine offers a powerful platform for women to share their experiences of motherhood, addressing themes of trauma, healing and growth. The project invites mothers and their children to take part creating a unique intergenerational creative expression.
“The Evolve programme gave me space to create freely. It provided me with the support I needed to be able to support others and most importantly it gave me the opportunity to produce meaningful art with a group of mothers whose voices are too often left unheard.”
Nadia Perrotta:
Nadia Perrotta is a filmmaker, writer and visual artist, and the Art Director of House of Stars, a creative hub for storytelling and visual arts. With a passion for socially engaged practice, Nadia specialises in manga and comics, using these to empower individuals through storytelling and creative expression. Nadia’s work focuses on exploring identity, fostering emotional resilience, and amplifying underrepresented voices.
Hannah Whittaker:
Hannah Whittaker is an interdisciplinary artist specialising in interactive and participatory projects. Her work blends digital art, installation, animation and performance, nurturing conversation, creativity and connection. Illustrating Lives is a collaborative storytelling and illustration project that brings together diverse community groups to share and visually explore each other’s stories. It will culminate in a public exhibition celebrating the power of shared narratives and creativity to build community.
Jay M. Patel:
Gillingham-raised, Community Artist-Educator and Public Health Medway Champion, Jay M. Patel’s passion to help elevate Medway resulted in her vision for her first creative health pilot, Nature Bubbles, designed to engage local people of all ages and abilities to improve their social, emotional, mental and physical health, through an innovative blend of art, craft, group exercise and nature connection. Jay initiated this new creative partnership between herself as an inclusive, cross-cultural practitioner, Medway Council’s Physical Activity Team and Medway Libraries, to promote a greater sense of togetherness, counter social isolation and enhance overall wellbeing. Jay led weekly, summertime walks and process-based, environmental art activities at Gillingham Library. The small group of participating British-Hindu senior citizens felt “uplifted by this inspiring, transformative experience!”. Jay is planning to reach more residents and grow Nature Bubbles across the Medway Towns.
