The alchemy project
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The Alchemy Project is a co-production action research project between Dance United Yorkshire, Cultural Utilities and Enterprises, and several early intervention psychosis services within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The project uses contemporary dance training and performance over four weeks to help young adults accessing early psychosis services. It aims to improve patients' positive affect, functioning, and relationships by addressing isolation, low confidence, and lack of motivation. Evaluations found the dance intervention significantly improved mental well-being and quality of life scores. It is an effective treatment that challenges expectations through non-clinical focus, increases wellness through physical activity, and reduces isolation through social connection.
![Care Coordinators noted the very high levels of
attendance, particularly given the full-time nature of
the commitment and the levels of engagement it
demanded
“There are so many other clients to whom I would like
to offer this project, so many people with whom we are
"stuck" that we don't quite know what will help them
take that next step towards recovery. Too often I feel
we go down the more coercive routes when this
happens, rather than seeing if projects like [The
Alchemy Project] could make a difference”
Ann Bessell, Social Worker STEP Team](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/thealchemyproject-160301100920/85/The-alchemy-project-8-320.jpg)
The alchemy project
- 2. CO-PRODUCTION ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT IN 2015 The Alchemy Project: •Dance United Yorkshire (DUY) •Cultural Utilities and Enterprises (CUE) •SLaM - Early Intervention Services in Psychosis: STEP: Southwark Team for Early Intervention in Psychosis. LEO: Lambeth Early Onset Service. LEIS: Lewisham Early Intervention Service. COAST: Early Intervention Service for Croydon. OASIS: Outreach and Support South London •SLaM - Head of Arts Strategy •Optimity Matrix - independent evaluation organisation •Dr Matthew Taylor of King’s College, London - Expert Consultant
- 3. Contemporary dance as part of an integrated recovery model for young adults accessing early intervention in psychosis services within the South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust (SLaM) Participants referred work intensively on a full-time basis over a period of four-weeks
- 4. PILOT PROJECT SeaBreeze in 2013 worked with 16 individuals and culminated in a series of performances that took place in an informal studio setting at Jerwood Space in London ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT The Alchemy Project delivered two interventions in 2015 each of which concluded with the performance of the choreography ‘El Camino’ specially commissioned in 2014 Over two separate periods of 4-weeks the project team involving healthcare professionals worked with two different groups of 18 individuals (including peer mentors) referred to early intervention in psychosis services through SLaM The final performances took place at The Shaw Theatre in March 2015 and at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells Theatre in July 2015 for an invited audience of arts professionals, healthcare workers, commissioners, students, and friends and families of the participants
- 5. SLaM - Early Intervention in Psychosis Teams identified three key problems Patients: (1)often feel isolated and struggle with interpersonal relationships (2) struggle with their body awareness and physical fitness and this has a negative impact on their overall levels of confidence (3) find it hard to get up in the morning and to maintain energy and optimism, with a liability to over-focus on their condition and worry about the future
- 6. Referred by frontline clinical staff Referred by frontline clinical staff Positive Affect: raised motivation, energy and optimism Positive Affect: raised motivation, energy and optimism Positive Functioning: improved embodied confidence Positive Functioning: improved embodied confidence Satisfying Interpersonal Relationships: greater satisfaction in interpersonal relationships Satisfying Interpersonal Relationships: greater satisfaction in interpersonal relationships Sharing a healthy lunch and snacks Sharing a healthy lunch and snacks Trust exercisesTrust exercisesLearning a 15-minute piece of choreography Learning a 15-minute piece of choreography Young adults aged 18 – 35 with an early diagnosis of a mental health condition Young adults aged 18 – 35 with an early diagnosis of a mental health condition Inputting own material into choreography via creative tasks Inputting own material into choreography via creative tasks Learning dance technique in daily class Learning dance technique in daily class Resilience: having energy for and commitment to the dance project and being able to overcome challenges and obstacles along the way Resilience: having energy for and commitment to the dance project and being able to overcome challenges and obstacles along the way Stillness and bodily control: showing observable moments of stillness, bodily control and mastery of movement Stillness and bodily control: showing observable moments of stillness, bodily control and mastery of movement Communication skills: communicating effectively when interacting during classes and rehearsals Communication skills: communicating effectively when interacting during classes and rehearsals Being part of a performing dance company in which all members learn and perform choreography in order to produce a high- quality artistic result Being part of a performing dance company in which all members learn and perform choreography in order to produce a high- quality artistic result Taster sessionsTaster sessions Three performances of a 15-minute dance piece to invited audiencesThree performances of a 15-minute dance piece to invited audiences Being part of a performing dance company in which all members must interact effectively to produce a high- quality artistic result. Being part of a performing dance company in which all members must interact effectively to produce a high- quality artistic result. Being part of a performing dance company and attending every day and overcoming obstacles and challenges in order to produce a high- quality artistic result. Being part of a performing dance company and attending every day and overcoming obstacles and challenges in order to produce a high- quality artistic result. Level of trust : being able to trust and be trusted by others Level of trust : being able to trust and be trusted by others Symbolic expression: expressing ideas and feelings through expressive movement Symbolic expression: expressing ideas and feelings through expressive movement Level of optimism: believing in their capacity to achieve a high quality dance performance Level of optimism: believing in their capacity to achieve a high quality dance performance Working as part of a team: negotiating group solutions to dance challenges that require co-operation and timing Working as part of a team: negotiating group solutions to dance challenges that require co-operation and timing team- building activities team- building activities
- 8. Care Coordinators noted the very high levels of attendance, particularly given the full-time nature of the commitment and the levels of engagement it demanded “There are so many other clients to whom I would like to offer this project, so many people with whom we are "stuck" that we don't quite know what will help them take that next step towards recovery. Too often I feel we go down the more coercive routes when this happens, rather than seeing if projects like [The Alchemy Project] could make a difference” Ann Bessell, Social Worker STEP Team
- 9. The research has revealed that the dance intervention acts as a powerful catalyst for the recovery of mental health in service users
- 10. Intervention effectiveness Key factor 1 It does not define participants by their illness or their deficits and instead provides a focus, structure and process that enables them to work beyond the typical lived experience of this constituency and challenge their expectations of themselves
- 11. Intervention effectiveness Key factor 2 The physical activity of dancing addresses symptoms of mental health illness and/or medication such as apathy, lethargy, and lack of motivation and rebalances the mind-body relationship
- 12. Intervention effectiveness Key factor 3 It creates social and physical connection between individuals and counteracts the feelings of isolation and fragmentation characteristic of populations with mental health problems
- 13. The research has demonstrated that the dance methodology at the heart of the intervention in the early stages of psychosis delivers clinically significant results in the well-being of participants: increases in their Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale (WEMWBS) scores In the words of Dr Matthew Taylor, “Very impressive”
- 15. Averages: Cohort 1 47.1 -> 55.0 (+7.9) Cohort 2 51.3 -> 55.0 (+3.7)
- 16. Other measures: stars Communication skills Resilience Concentration and Focus Level of trust in others Working with others as part of a team
- 19. Other measures: quality of life • EQ-5D: – standard measure, NICE-recommended • Cohort 1 0.82 -> 0.92 • Cohort 2 0.82 -> 0.85
- 20. • Substantial wellbeing improvements – Three cohorts • Improvements in other measures – Communication skills, Resilience, Concentration and Focus, Level of trust in others, Working with others as part of a team • Improvements in Quality of Life
- 21. For further information about The Alchemy Project please contact: carly@duy.org.uk gwenvs@thealchemyproject.co.uk Dr Lauren Gavaghan Blog: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/discoverpsychiatry/blogzone/thealchemyproject.aspx