The Art of Practice
An online symposium for organisations supporting art and creative health in mental health contexts
Friday 15 May 2026
10-4pm
Online (Zoom)
Book Here
Creative health is a hot topic right now, as the NHS 10-year plan shifts to focus on preventative and community care, and arts funders explicitly support art activity that seeks to improve people’s health. Bethlem Gallery is a grassroots arts organisation based at Bethlem Royal Hospital with nearly 30 years of experience working in a mental health context. As a creative health organisation we often get asked – and reflect internally – about how we work, how we support artists and ourselves.
In this symposium we aim to share practice from across the sector with a view to potentially developing a network focusing specifically on art and mental health from organisational perspectives.
Join us for this day of insights, case studies, learning and support.
Symposium Participation Note
To help us create a genuinely collaborative and useful day, we wanted to share a quick note about how the day will run. This symposium is designed to be interactive, with moments for discussion, small group breakout rooms, and shared reflection. Your presence and participation are an important part of making the day meaningful for everyone.
Programme Details
Timings | Speaker | Details |
10.00-10.20 | Neil Springham and Sophie Leighton | Introduction and welcome: setting out our landscape and aims for the day. |
10.20-11.00 | Daniel Regan, Jenny Lea, Sophie Leighton and Karim Sultan
| The practice and ethical approach of framing artwork in a health context. |
11.00 -11.10 | TEA BREAK | TEA BREAK |
11.10 -11:50 | Jules Cunningham and Kat Bridge. Moderated by Karim Sultan | Jules and Kat will talk about their work at the Bethlem Gallery, Bethlem Royal Hospital and how it has affected and changed their working practices in other places and spaces.
|
11.50-12.40 | MR X, Lucy Owen and Kate Watson | ‘Something Glamourous, Something Awkward’ Film Screening (25 mins) followed by a Q&A with Mr X and Lucy Owen.
|
12.40-1.40 | LUNCH BREAK | LUNCH BREAK
|
1.40-2.20 | Dr Jo Townsend, Dr Tola Dabiri and Helen Chatterjee | Advocating for art in health settings. |
2.20 -3.00 | Gerard Drennan and Sophie Leighton | Support structures of and at Bethlem Gallery.
|
3.00-3.10 | TEA BREAK | TEA BREAK |
3.10-4.00 | Sophie Leighton and Amina Darwish | Listening Session: Reflecting on the day and next steps for a network.
|
Download the speakers biographies and programme for the event here: Art of Practice Symposium – Speakers Biographies and Programme.
Please sign up for the day here or at Eventbrite.