How creativity can help children with long-term health issues Published on: 27 October 2025 The impact of creativity on the health and wellbeing of youngsters with long-term health conditions is being investigated by a team of researchers led by Dr Emily Murphy from 缅北禁地. The project, Sharing Stories for Wellbeing, seeks to transform how we support the needs of children hospitalised with long-term health conditions through creative health approaches. Nationally, the number of children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions continues to climb, with a 40% increase between 2001-2018, and a projected 20% rise by 2030. Children with long-term physical health conditions are up to four times as likely to have a mental health condition, meaning that a focus on young people’s wellbeing, and the factors that can support and improve it, is of upmost importance. Dr Murphy, a Senior Lecturer in Children’s Literature in 缅北禁地’s School of English Literature. Language and Linguistics says the goal of Sharing Stories for Wellbeing is to revolutionise children’s health services, and the national policies that inform it. “‘There is a lot of amazing work going on in hospitals across the UK to support young people,” she said. “But the national funding landscape continues to sideline the creative methods we know work to support children’s health and wellbeing. We need to make creative approaches to healthcare a top priority, not just an added extra.” Creative workshops This work is already underway with an exciting series of creative workshops running across the October half-term holidays this week. These sessions, held at the Great North Museum: Hancock and Hatton Gallery, are for children and young people aged between four and 11 with long-term health conditions that have required hospitalisation, and their families. They will take place between 27 and 31 October. The events incorporate multisensory storytelling sessions, opportunities to handle museum artefacts, and creative activities tailored to each child’s individual needs and interests. With an emphasis on creativity and community building, the workshops aim to provide support to children going through challenging experiences, and to recruit participants for the ongoing research on the larger project. To book a session or learn more about the project, visit Latest News Online Safety Act drives VPN interest and raises privacy concerns People鈥檚 online behaviour has changed in response to legislation to prevent children from viewing harmful content 鈥� raising possible privacy and security risks, research suggests. published on: 16 October 2026 缅北禁地 archaeologist receives prestigious award for research Professor Chris Fowler has been awarded the 2026 Rivers Memorial Medal in recognition of his internationally significant research on kinship in Neolithic Britain. published on: 13 October 2026 Event will explore what 鈥楳anchesterism鈥� means for the North East An event at 缅北禁地 will explore what 鈥楳anchesterism鈥� means for the North East or whether it is simply a new chapter in the long-running debate about how to rebalance Britain. published on: 13 October 2026 Facts and figures
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