The next session of The Valletta Creative Forum will discuss “Arts & Health: The Wellbeing of Maltese Society” and will take place on Saturday 24 February at Mt. Carmel Hospital Theatre, Attard.

The forum’s objective is to initiate a national discussion and recommend a way forward for a local arts and health strategy, which will enable local policy makers in the arts and health sector, artists and health practitioners to discuss best practices, strategies and research in the arts and health sector. Brian Chapman, from Lime, an arts organisation based in Manchester connecting health and the arts since 1974, will be meeting Maltese health professionals and delivering a workshop in the week leading up to the forum. He will also give a keynote speech during the forum highlighting the impact of arts projects in healthcare settings.

Northern Irish theatre company “Cahoots” will perform Bedside Theatre in hospitals and day care centres across Malta to demonstrate the viability of similar projects. They will also present their work during the forum.

In order to involve all forum participants in the think-tank, working groups during each forum will propose recommendations for further development. The three working groups are (1) Arts as Therapy (2) Arts practices in hospitals (3) Arts for health promotion.

The forum, which is free of charge, will be held from 9am to 3:30pm and includes lunch. To register please send an e-mail to [email protected] indicating the preferred working group by Monday

19 February.