Exploring possibilities to include creativity in healthcare
The seminar Co-creative Healthcare and Research: Shifting mindsets from mechanistic to creative, held on 18, 20 and 21 November 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden, provided new perspectives on chronic pain and its treatment, talks about inspiring projects and practical ways to integrate creativity and the arts into healthcare research.
Organized by GPCC, the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care / Östra, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, and the research network Gothenburg Pain Lab, the seminar featured lectures and workshops on shifting perspectives on chronic pain, the importance of creativity for wellbeing, and hands-on activities to combine research with creativity. While the seminar topic was chronic pain, the insights and approaches shared are adaptable to a range of other chronic health conditions.
The three-day event attracted participants with diverse backgrounds including amongst other patients and patient representatives, nurses, specialist nurses, social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, healthcare managers, researchers.
Three international speakers inspired the audience to think about chronic pain in a new way
Mark I. Johnson, Professor of Pain and Analgesia Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK held a lecture entitled "Transforming Perspectives on Pain: Flipping, Unmasking and rethinking our Approach", which provided fresh perspectives on pain and its treatment. Mark is involved in UK projects that include pain education, community pain services including Rethinking Pain , the public health campaign Flippin’ PainTM and artist-led activities for pain.
Arife Dila Demir, PhD, artist-designer and researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, Estonia presented a lecture that explored unhabitual bodily engagements and creative tools for reflection and self-expression. Dila’s two workshops provided practical tools and activities to turn implicit pain sensations into tangible manifestations through making ‘pain creatures’, and she introduced the method of ‘estrangement’ for eliciting patient narratives.
Balbir Singh, Artistic Director of Balbir Singh Dance Company, Leeds, UK, presented a talk about "Creative Treatments – Dissolving the Gap Between Participant and Artist". The talk illustrated the broad range of possibilities to use creativity and art to enable the people living with chronic conditions to unlock feelings of fear, anger, depression, physical limitations and lack of social and creative engagement. Balbir’s workshop featured movement with classical Indian dance performer Devika Rao, and music as a means to explore communication, emotional expression, and well-being.
Positive participant feedback
Participants much appreciated the day. Some comments on the highlights:
“Brilliant speakers – and just lovely to get to speak to them during lunch and fika.”
“The day gave me new perspectives on how to work with chronic pain. All three presentations provided insights into the complexity of chronic pain and highlighted that there are alternative methods for treatment.”
“Mark’s presentation in particular was fun and full of energy, making complex ideas accessible.”
“I think everything was fantastic! Gaining an understanding of the forces within human creativity and how it can help people suffering from chronic pain. Creative expression can be a way to learn to understand and articulate one’s experiences”.
A photo essay report of the event is available on the Gothenburg Pain Lab website.
We are grateful for the support received from the funders, sponsors, presenters and participants. We hope that the inspiration gained from the three days will contribute to meaningful changes in clinical practice and research.
TEXT: Birgit Heckemann
PHOTOS: Balbir Singh and Birgit Heckemann