Celebrating Creative Health: Join us for this event on Wednesday 20 May 2026
King’s College London and the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) are delighted to invite you to an upcoming event titled “Celebrating Creative Health”, taking place on Wednesday 20 May 2026 from 2:00 – 5:00 pm at the Science Gallery London.
The event is being held in honour of the Rt Hon. Lord Howarth of Newport CBE and will be hosted by Professor Martin Marshall CBE, Chair of the NCCH and Chair of the Nuffield Trust.
Event information
- Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026
- Time: 2:00 – 5:00 pm
- Location: Science Gallery London, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9GU
Registration
Distinguished speakers to explore creativity and wellbeing
Guest speakers Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey OBE, (Patron of the NCCH) and William Sieghart CBE will discuss their shared interests in literature and poetry and why creativity matters.
Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey OBE, is an independent Cross-bench member of the House of Lords. She was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2020 and has chaired the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Orange Prize for Women’s Fiction, and the Man Booker Prize. In 2024, her memoir, Eight Weeks, was published as “a spirited, eye-opening and beautifully written account of being a child in care and a Black child in a white family,” and is recognised as a vital contribution to contemporary Black British history.
William Sieghart CBE, is a British entrepreneur, publisher and philanthropist and the founder of the Forward Prize for Poetry and of National Poetry Day. His books The Poetry Pharmacy, The Poetry Pharmacy Returns, and The Poetry Pharmacy Forever are published by Penguin. Inspired by the books, The Poetry Pharmacy Live is a multimedia platform to spread the healing power of poetry and prescribes poems for "the Heart, Mind and Soul".
We will then hear from a panel chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely who is Regius Professor of Psychiatry at King's College London.
Three Doctors are on the panel including Dr Guddi Singh, Dr Phil Hammond and Dr Simon Opher MP. They are all experienced public broadcasters as well as medical professionals. Guddi and Phil have both hosted the BBC's Trust me, I'm a Doctor; Guddi's Three Ages of Child looks at what influences the health and wellbeing of children and Dr Phil's Bedside Manner, is an innovative mix of comedy performance and documentary. Simon is a GP and an MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Creative Health and in his most recent podcast, Simon Says, Let's Talk, he hosted Dr Phil Hammond.
The panel will be considering the questions: should creativity be promoted as a healthy behaviour? and if so, how can we best encourage the public to engage?
Networking and wider context
This event takes place during Creativity and Wellbeing Week (18–24 May 2026), a national festival that champions the role of creativity in supporting health and wellbeing across communities. The festival is a partnership between London Arts and Health and the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance.
This year’s theme, “Critical Hope”, reflects the ability to realistically assess the environment through a lens of equity and justice while also envisioning the possibility of a better future.
In addition, Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2026 has partnered with The Big Issue to co-produce a special edition themed around Creative Health. Copies will be available to purchase at the event.
Refreshments will then be provided, offering attendees an opportunity to network and connect with others working across arts, health, research and policy.
Why attend?
This event offers a unique opportunity to:
- Celebrate the contribution of Rt Hon. Lord Howarth of Newport a key figure in advancing the role of arts and creativity in health and wellbeing
- Hear from and network with leading voices in literature, poetry, healthcare, broadcasting and public policy
- Explore how creative health can support health and wellbeing, informed by real-world practice
- Engage with the timely question of whether creativity should be promoted as a healthy behaviour, and how to encourage wider public participation.
Further information
The Rt Hon. Lord Howarth of Newport CBE was the founding Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Arts, Health and Wellbeing from 2014 to 2024 and the founding Chair of NCCH from 2020 to 2024.
The NCCH advances good practice and research, informs policy, and promotes collaboration, helping to embed creative health within health and social care systems.
King’s College London was a research lead in the APPG’s two-year inquiry (2015–2017), Creative Health: the Arts for Health and Wellbeing. The launch of the Creative Health Review in 2023 was hosted by King’s College London at the Science Gallery London.
With thanks to:
The NCCH would like to thank King’s College London for their support of this event.
