Policies & Projects
A core strategy to achieve this is through policy level intervention and promoting projects, where the aim is to:
- Influence and extend the reach and impact of writing for well-being practice and practitioners across the globe
- Influence the development and innovation of well-being practices across the globe
- Influence and enhance the professional standing of writing for wellbeing practitioners across the globe
Our Policies
Click on the button below to read our policies:
Policy influence
Over the last 20 years, Lapidus International has been part of importance conversations at governmental level. These have included contributions to:
- All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Round Table at the Houses of Parliament looking at the arts in Palliative Care, Dying and Bereavement
- Good Governance Institute’s convention for the Governance of Arts Organisations
- Trailblazer developments for the creation of national standards for practice and policy research in arts and arts organisations
If you are a professional wanting to get involved and influence wider policy interventions, please become a member and contribute to our consultations.
If you are an arts organisation wanting to get involved and influence wider policy interventions, please get in contact with us.
Project developments
Lapidus International has developed, facilitated, or collaborated on a variety of projects utilising writing for well-being practices. A selection of examples are provided below. If you are a professional wanting to get involved or collaborate in new projects please become a member and get in touch.
If you are an arts organisation wanting to develop or collaborate on new projects, please get in contact with us.
Creative Practices for Wellbeing – Practice Guidance Report (TS Eliot Foundation, 2019)
Using creativity for wellbeing has grown significantly over the years and is now becoming commonplace in many different contexts and settings, such as classrooms, workplaces, hospitals, hospices, community spaces, festivals, and even government. Evidence for the use of creative practices such as poetry, storytelling, or biographical writing to support recovery or promote personal development is long established and is growing, and demonstrates an incredible power and potential. Amidst this setting, and with the support of TS Eliot Foundation, The Old Possum’s Practical Trust, and the University of Chester, this guidance was developed to support practitioners in delivering effective and safe practice.
Wellbeing Gifts (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2017)
This project aimed to raise awareness of well-being through the innovative use of poems. This project was facilitated by Lapidus International and funded by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. All Lapidus members were invited to tender to run pilot projects.
Nurturing the Spirit of Ubuntu at Work (HEFCE, 2017)
This project aimed to generate a sense of collective well-being in the context of complex professional settings. This project was funded by the Quality Research Grant Scheme at the University of Chester (via the Higher Education Funding Council).
The Resilient Manager (HEFCE, 2015)
This project examined the stories of managers in order to find helpful strategies to support well-being and specifically resources for resilience. This project was funded by a Learning & Teaching Grant Scheme at the University of Chester (via the Higher Education Funding Council).
Spreading the Word (Arts Council England, 2009 onwards)
This project was organised by Lapidus International and funded by Arts Council England. All Lapidus members were invited to tender to run pilot projects. The eight projects selected were:
- Writing for Children in Long-Stay Hospital Care – Moira Andrew working with children in long-term hospital care in partnership with Caroline Johnson, Head of Centre, Community and Hospital Education Service, RCH (Treliske) in Truro.
- Writing for Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain – Lesley Glover and Kate Evans working with women with chronic pelvic pain in partnership with Dr Stella Morris, Consultant Psychiatrist of the Humber NHS Mental Health Teaching Trust in Humberside.
- Creative Writing with Self-Harming Prisoners – Graham Hartill working with self-harming prisoners at Parc Prison and YOI in partnership with Laurence Bater, Head of Dept of Arts and Media at HMP &YOI Parc – in Wales.
- Making Soup – Sandy Hutchinson Nunns working with trainee counsellors in partnership with Laura Chrysostomou at Lewes Library – in Sussex.
- Hooked on Words – Maggie Sawkins working with people with a drug or alcohol problem in partnership with Mark Poingdestre of Cranstoun-Portsmouth CDA – Hampshire.
- Reflecting Ourselves – Kate Thompson working with professional and voluntary counsellors at St Luke’s Hospice, Sheffield in partnership with Penny Merrett, Bereavement Service Co-ordinator at St Luke’s Hospice – in South Yorkshire.
- Positive Words and Pictures – Julie Ward working with unemployed people with mental health problems in partnership with Jane Hartley, Chief Executive, the Pioneering Care Partnership – in CountyDurham.
- Creativity for Confidence – Claire Williamson working with anxious, depressed or socially isolated and registered patients at Bedminster Family Practice in partnership with Dr Gillian Rice – in Bristol.
Lapidus Poetry & Mental Health project (Wellcome Trust, 2007)
In 2007, Lapidus International collaborated in a project aimed at raising awareness of mental health and emotional intelligence issues amongst teenagers. The Poetry Society Education Department advised on best practice and the project was coordinated by Graham Henderson, Chief Executive, Poet in the City
A programme of 22 days of schools’ placements was delivered by Lapidus, Samaritans and The Poetry Society in schools around the UK from January 2007. Cheryl Moskowitz, who delivered and evaluated the programme for Lapidus, produced sample teaching notes and stimulus poems as models for the poets/educators taking part in the programme.
The poetry placements form an integral part of the national programme of placements being run by the Samaritans’ Developing Emotional Awareness and Learning (DEAL) programme Samaritans DEAL
As part of the project, a poetry event was organised by Poet in the City at the Royal College of Psychiatrists on 11 April 2006, at which Professor Femi Oyebode, senior psychiatrist and poet, gave a talk and there were readings by actors Ruth Rosen and Peter Forbes. The event was recorded by the British Library Sound Archive and is available for study and use. Poet in the City produced audio downloads for use on its website.