ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ is delighted to celebrate the success of its Creative Breaks programme, an arts-based wellbeing initiative that engaged almost a quarter of the student body over the past academic year. We are also thrilled to announce that funding for the programme has been approved for the next academic year, allowing this much-loved initiative to continue and expand.

Supported through the College Wellbeing Stimulus Fund, ‘Creative Breaks: Supporting Student Wellbeing Through an Arts-Based Programme’ was designed to give students the opportunity to explore creativity, self-expression and relaxation through a series of fortnightly workshops led by local organisation Arts & Minds and professional artists.

Over the course of the year, twelve workshops introduced students to a wide variety of artistic techniques and media, including pottery, mosaics, acrylic painting, air-dry terracotta, inks, charcoal and textile art. Demand was consistently high, with almost every session fully booked, often within a day of registration opening. The popularity of the programme demonstrates a clear appetite among students for creative wellbeing activities that provide a welcome pause from the pressures of academic life.

Dr Susan Imrie, the College’s Head of Wellbeing, has played a leading role in developing and managing the programme. Susan says:

"The Creative Break art workshops were hugely popular with our students and it was wonderful to be able to support student wellbeing in this way.  We know that students who attended last year's workshops reported an improvement in mood afterwards and that, for some, the workshops played a role in helping them make friends and feel part of our community.

I am delighted that due to the success of last year's workshops, we'll be able to run this programme again and I'm grateful to the Colleges Wellbeing Stimulus Fund for making this initiative possible.  We have lots of exciting activities planned already and are expanding and diversifying what we're offering in the hope that more of our students will be able to benefit." 

Reaching students across the College community

A total of 142 students, representing 23% of the College community, participated in the programme, generating 274 workshop attendances across the year. On average, students attended two workshops, with many returning for multiple sessions and some attending as many as ten.

The programme successfully attracted a diverse range of participants. Students from both STEM and Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines engaged in similar proportions, while nearly half of the College's freshers attended at least one workshop. Importantly, one-third of participants were postgraduate students.

Creating opportunities for postgraduate students to connect with the College community remains a priority, as ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ postgraduate students normally live off-site. The strong postgraduate engagement highlights the programme's role in fostering community and offering meaningful wellbeing opportunities that students feel are worth travelling to College to attend.

Measurable improvements in wellbeing

The programme was designed not only to provide enjoyable creative experiences but also to support student wellbeing in a measurable way.

Participants completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) before and after workshops. The data showed very clearly that every workshop was associated with a significant increase in positive emotions and a significant decrease in negative emotions.

These benefits were evident across all student groups, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, home and international students, STEM and Arts students.

The findings align with wider research demonstrating the positive impact that creative engagement can have on emotional wellbeing and stress reduction.

Students Discovering New Ways to Relax and Thrive

Alongside quantitative data, student feedback painted a compelling picture of the programme's impact, describing the workshops as fun, relaxing and restorative, often highlighting how valuable it was to focus on something entirely separate from their studies.

One student reflected:

"It was very nice and relaxing to do and I might continue to do that as a way to relax and unwind."

Another noted:

"I learned to use charcoal and to be less hard on myself and allow myself to not be perfect."

Many students commented on the way creative activities offered a different mode of thinking from their academic work:

"I like how it uses a different part of my brain from the academic or even social side."

Others highlighted the workshops' role in helping them regain perspective and manage stress:

"The workshops were a great way to relax and focus on something other than work. They helped me take a step back and get some perspective on my academic work, which has been very helpful for my wellbeing."

and:

"They have significantly reduced my stress and given me a way to step back from work. I have also been able to better focus when I do work because my time is structured around the sessions."

These reflections demonstrate how creative activities can support not only relaxation and enjoyment, but also resilience, confidence and self-awareness.

Connecting students with the Women’s Art Collection

Several workshops drew inspiration from works in the College's renowned Women's Art Collection, providing students with new opportunities to engage with and respond to the artworks around them. This connection between creativity, wellbeing and the College's unique artistic environment added another valuable dimension to the programme.

The impressive range and quality of artwork produced throughout the year was celebrated at a Student Artwork Celebration Event in June 2026, showcasing the creativity, talent and enthusiasm of participants.

Looking ahead

The overwhelming success of Creative Breaks has led to an exciting next step. In response to the programme's popularity and impact, ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ successfully secured funding to continue and expand the initiative during the next academic year.

The expanded programme will retain the highly successful workshop model while also exploring new approaches, including drop-in sessions and collaborative art projects. These developments will enable even more students to access creative wellbeing opportunities and strengthen connections across the College community.

As we look forward to another year of Creative Breaks, we are delighted that this innovative programme will continue to help students discover the benefits of creativity, connection and self-expression alongside their academic journeys.