We won an award!

In December 2025, the Arts in Health team I lead at Central & North West London NHS Trust won the Building Partnerships award at the annual CNWL Therapies Awards. It feels particularly special to come first in this category, recognising the work we’ve done over the last few years to create strong connections with a wide range of cultural institutions and community organisations across London.

Partnership highlights include Alice Magic - a collaboration in 2024-25 with the Royal Ballet & Opera’s Creative Exchange programme, exploring the positive impact dance can have on mental health. The 16-week project culminated in a profoundly moving performance at the Royal Opera House, with participants later going on to set up their own dance CIC. 

In 2025 Arts in Health enjoyed ongoing partnerships with community teams at institutions such as the British Museum, Tate, Two Temple Place and the Wellcome Collection. This year we’re excited about new connections made with Leighton House and the V&A Museum.

The award feels like a real acknowledgement of how powerful these creative partnerships can be in supporting mental health and in 2026 I’m looking forward to creating more opportunities for people to connect with the arts as part of their wellbeing journeys.