Arts Care Strategic Plan 2023-26
Executive Summary
1. Purpose of this paper
This document represents, a ‘headline’ strategy for the next 3 years, and sets the framework for a series of ‘who, what, where and when’ annual Business Plans for the CEO and staff involved in implementing the organisation’s aims.
2. Introduction to Arts Care
Arts Care offers the following Programmes across Northern Ireland
Artists-in-Residence: deployment of highly skilled artists commissioned by the Health and Social Care statutory sector
Arts Care Projects: large and small arts projects that sit outside the commissioned programme
Across the 2 Programmes we offer the following 5 products/services:
• Artist Led Workshops:
• Clown Doctors
• Environmental Transformations
• Education and Training Services
• Staff Wellbeing Services
3. SWOT Analysis
Key Strengths / Opportunities:
• New Board Members
• Strategic Partnerships
• Corporate Market
4. Mission and Vision Statements
Arts Care’s Mission is ‘improving personal health and wellbeing through the Arts’.
We aim to enable people in health and social care, community, corporate and other settings to benefit from the recuperative, healing, and positive mental health effects of engagement with the creative arts.
Our Vision is that everyone throughout Northern Ireland should have an opportunity to experience the positive health and wellbeing effects of engagement with creative arts.
5. Desired Outcomes
• The development of Arts Care NI as a strong, well led, well managed organisation capable of meeting future challenges
• An increase in our resilience through building capacity and sustainability
• Development of good governance and enhanced management capabilities
• Increased financial resilience, particularly through maximising income streams
• Improved marketing of our services to existing and new markets through a social enterprise approach
• Stronger existing partnerships and the development of new partnerships
• Improved levels of health and well-being through accessing the arts
• Reduction in levels of stress and anxiety in service users, families, and staff
• Increased levels of motivation in healthcare staff in the workplace
• Enhanced relationships between service users and healthcare staff
• Enhanced professional development for healthcare staff and students
• Transformation of clinical environments into vibrant, ‘cared for’ spaces
6. Aims
Services: Secure existing services and ensure their quality and cost effectiveness
New Markets: Diversify into new markets through a social enterprise approach and significantly grow our Projects
Research and advocacy: Work with others to develop good public policy and practice for the arts in health sector including establishing a Creative Health Network for NI
Resources: Cement the good governance, HR, finance & funding and physical resources required to achieve our aims
Governance: Good governance, effective management & sustainability
7. Existing Services and potential new services
Current services are: Artist Led Workshops; Clown Doctors; Environmental Transformations; Education and Training for Health Care Professionals; Staff Wellbeing Services.
Services under development include: Skylarks and Drama/Theatre
8. SMART Objectives
Objectives with timelines are detailed in this section relating to the 5 Aims as noted in Section 6 above
9. Marketing Plan
Marketing Aim
The Marketing Plan will focus on growing and maximising income in our 2 Programmes across the statutory, charity and corporate sectors. This includes achieving growth and profit each year in our Project Artist Programme of £20k year one, £40k year two, and £60k year three
• Our key Statutory Partners and funders are the Department of Health, the 5 HSC Trusts, the Public Health Agency and the Arts Council for NI. Other Public sector partnerships such as Councils to be pursued
• Key Charity/Third Sector partners. There is significant potential for us to be commissioned from within their funded programmes and also to partner them on joint bids to provide art interventions for their service users under our Project Artist Programme.
• Corporate Partnerships – we currently have a fledgling relationship with one corporate organisation – Connswater Shopping Centre. Developing new corporate partners is a priority and a key role of the new Business Development Manager.
10. Partnership Arrangements
• Our key Statutory Partners and funders are the Department of Health, the 5 HSC Trusts, the Public Health Agency and the Arts Council for NI.
• Key Charity/Third Sector partners already secured include SENSE NI, Share Centre, East Side Arts, Sure Start, Live Music Now, TWN.
• Corporate Partnerships – we currently have a fledgling relationship with one corporate organisation – Connswater Shopping Centre.
11. Pricing Structure
Unit costs for our products established for each sector with overheads built in - Flexibility required here as Pricing will be different for Commissioned contracts, Independent Bespoke Projects and Corporate engagement.