December 2024 marks the second birthday of Singing Mamas, which meets on Tuesday mornings in Hornsey Vale’s cosy Small Hall. Open to all women—including those who are not mamas—it’s a welcome weekly opportunity to enjoy singing together, followed by tea and home-baked treats.
For Grace McGeoch, who runs the group, it’s part of something bigger: using creativity to improve health and wellbeing.
We asked Grace what she means by ‘creative health’.
“Creativity, culture and heritage are key to our wellbeing. Creative Health approaches integrate arts, music and other creative and cultural honouring practices into health care. For example, in some areas of the UK, singing groups are available on prescription via the NHS as an evidence-based treatment for postnatal depression.”
Grace acknowledges that taking part in creative activities leads to increased social interaction, decreased stress, adoption of healthy behaviours, and prevention and treatment of long term conditions, among many other benefits—and the science bears this out.
“Singing in particular regulates your breathing and heart rate, improves mental wellbeing, promotes endorphins which are natural pain killers, lowers the stress hormone cortisol, and helps us connect.”
Want to read more? Check out the Singing for Health Network which has a summary of the evidence.
Grace believes everyone can benefit from a more creative approach to health.
“Some of us say that we are not creative but engaging in creative activity lights a spark in everyone. You just need to find the activity that suits you best.”
Singing Mamas is just the beginning of Grace’s creative health journey. As an NHS GP by background, she says she has “learned from the example of others that we already have the resources we need to transform how health care is delivered. Those of us who can, need to move out of our comfort zones and work across sectors to make it happen.”
For instance, in addition to running her singing groups, Grace has also worked in partnership with a musical charity to sing in a care home with staff and residents, and is now leading a group consultation pilot in Islington that includes the aim of improving partnership working between health and voluntary/community/social enterprise organisations. In the longer run this way of working will create more opportunities for creative health interventions.
One of Grace’s most exciting projects involves City St Georges University: “I am collaborating with Kate Valentine, nurse and founder of the Singing Mamas network, on a pioneering project to deliver a Creative Health module for first year midwifery students at City St Georges University. It is a privilege to be sharing this work with the next generation of health professionals!”
Through these ‘Creative Health interventions’ Grace believes we can start to “break down artificial divides between ‘health professional’ and ‘creative’ and balance the exchange between those giving and receiving care.”
How has running Singing Mamas at Hornsey Vale inspired the expansion of Grace’s activities?
“Everyone at Hornsey Vale has been very welcoming and supportive and enabled me to make a dream come true! Singing Mamas Crouch End turns two in early December, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the impact it is having as an inclusive and nurturing space for women. It has strengthened my belief in the use of creative activities to build supportive relationships. This is health creation.”
Finally, what are Grace’s suggestions for facing the long winter days?
“Honour the long nights as a time to reflect and look inward. Rhythms, such as through song or through changing seasons, add meaning and depth to our lives. I have found singing helps me accept the discomfort of winter. In my groups we have already started singing some of my favourite deep winter songs and it’s only November!”
Singing Mamas is held each Tuesday at 10am.
Get in touch with Grace: Grace McGeoch Music: Singing Mamas.