Norfolk and Suffolk HealthCare Expo

For the first time in 2026, the Norfolk and Suffolk Healthcare Expo featured a Creative Health Zone, showcasing the work being undertaken across the regions, to a Health and Social Care audience.

Representation on the day came from Suffolk Artlink, Creative Arts East, DanceEast, Suffolk Community Libraries, Playing for Cake, The Restoration Trust, Artbranches and Swell Music.

Keynote speaker and T.V Presenter Michaela Strachan spent time in the Creative Health zone, exploring the fantastic work being delivered across Norfolk and Suffolk, from non-clinical interventions such as Dance East’s, Dance for Parkinson’s programme, to Suffolk Artlink’s, Re<Charge social prescribing wellbeing programme, and Suffolk Community Libraries Creative Health Associate Artists exploring the potential of community health interventions that connect with and are inspired by environmental advocacy.

Image credit – Claire Atherton

Also during the event, feedback was invited via a creative evaluation, to understand how many of the attendees had awareness of creative health.

The results are as follows:                                                                          Yes                      No

Q.1 – Do you know about Creative Health?                                            42%                   58%

Q.2 – Are you creative outside of work?                                                 72%                    28%

Q.3 – Would you like to be more creative?                                             94%                   6%

The findings indicate that further work is required to strengthen understanding of Creative Health and to communicate its potential benefits for health and wellbeing. It was encouraging to observe that members of the health and social care workforce engage in creative pursuits beyond their professional responsibilities.

However, the most notable result was that the vast majority expressed a desire to become more creative. This suggests a significant opportunity for Creative Health to be integrated not only within health prevention initiatives, but also within workplace settings.

Alongside this real-time feedback, an online Health and Social Care Workforce Consultation was also launched to understand how the respective workforces receive information within their roles.

If you work within Health and Social Care, we’d love to hear your views by clicking here and taking 2 minutes to complete the Health and Social Care Workforce Consultation.

Thanks to the Norfolk and Suffolk ICB for hosting us—your support and partnership have made this such a valuable opportunity. We’re grateful for the chance to come together, share ideas, and build momentum around Creative Health.

Looking ahead to 2027, when we’ll be able to expand upon the Creative Health Zone, broadening access, strengthening the work with our partners, and reaching even more people through creativity, wellbeing, and community-led impact.

Sign up to the Norfolk & Suffolk Creative Health Mailing List to be kept informed of developments happening across the regions.