16 May 2025

Arts Boost is returning for 2025 for children and young people in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire who are known to the Specialist Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (S-CAMHS).

Arts Boost, was developed in 2022 by Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) in response to the increasing number of young people seeking mental health support from S-CAMHS. It is an award-winning programme that uses the arts to help reduce distress and improve mental health.

Now in its fourth year, the health board is continuing its close partnership with Span Arts in Pembrokeshire, People Speak Up in Carmarthenshire, and Small World Theatre in Ceredigion to deliver creative sessions with 12- to 18-year-olds known to S-CAMHS.

A wide range of arts activities will be offered through a programme of Creative Freestyling where young people can pick from a range of art forms, including animation, aerial, journaling, clay, painting, drawing, and DJ’ing.

The programme is available to children and young people known to Hywel Dda UHB’s S-CAMHS aged 12-18 years old with mild to moderate mental health difficulties across Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Angela Lodwick, Assistant Director Mental Health and Learning Disabilities for Hywel Dda UHB said: “It is wonderful to see Arts Boost return for its fourth year as we have seen over the past three programmes how accessing arts can help improve the wellbeing of children and young people, reduced their feelings of distress, and helped them to develop creative coping skills for life.

“If you or your child is known to our Specialist Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service, our Arts Boost programme is available to you. For more information or to apply, please speak to your current primary mental health clinician or contact our lead for psychological therapies S-CAMHS, Katie O’Shea on 01267 674450.”

Arts Boost is based on the growing body of evidence that shows that the arts have a key role to play in healthcare, especially in improving wellbeing, self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-expression.

Hywel Dda UHB is proud to contribute evidence from previous Arts Boost programmes to the national Arts and Minds programme, funded by the Baring Foundation and the Arts Council of Wales regarding the benefits for children and young people.