DaDa at Alder Hey
Our partnership with Alder Hey began as a three year social prescribing project back in 2018 connecting artists with young outpatients to offer 1:1 sessions supporting artist development, and has continued to grow from there.
This first Children in Need funded project had a huge impact on patients wellbeing and the development of their own creative practices with art forms including: Singing, music, painting, drawing, creative writing and poetry.
In 2021 DaDa and Alder Hey secured further grant funding to develop on the partnership through delivery of an animation project.
The funding through Liverpool City Council was made available to support communities who had experienced particular difficulty during the pandemic due to the effects of lockdown, isolation and shielding. This led to the development of two DaDa projects
- ‘Shielded in the Community’ which was an online project that DaDa presented in DDFI22 led by Mandy Redvers Rowe exploring stories of disabled people who faced isolation and loneliness because they needed to shield.
- Alder Experiences - an on-site animation project at Alder Hey which offers patients at the hospital opportunity to work with Disabled Led Liverpool Film Company Twin Vision to create an animated film illustrating a child’s experience in a day at the hospital. The aim is that as well as documenting many realistic features of a child’s experience, elements of fantasy will be included in the animation meaning the film can exist as a piece of creative work outside the hospital context.
The animation project continues to both support patient well-being as well as offering the opportunity for creative expression and development, with the final animation launched in autumn 2024. Click the links below to see the animation and interviews with those involved:
Alongside, DaDa and Alder Hey have forged a partnership with Museum of Liverpool and Tate Liverpool to expand on the initial collaborative work rooted in social prescribing. Artists representing the partner organisations spend 12 weeks in the hospital with individuals and small groups offering flexible creative sessions that respond to the individuals needs.
The project supports the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people who are spending prolonged time in a hospital setting, offering them an escape and creative outlet.
This ongoing partnership is made possible with support from Liverpool City Council, Arts Council of England and Alder Hey who offer a generous contribution of staff time and resources.
