Creative Health at Scale: Reimagining how we support young people’s mental health

A new national initiative is turning creativity into a frontline response to one of the UK’s most urgent challenges: the mental health of children and young people.

About the project

Across the UK, more children and young people are struggling with their mental health than ever before. Services are under pressure. Waiting lists are long. And too often, support comes too late.

Creative Health – National Development is a three-year initiative led by Mortal Fools that takes a different approach — one rooted in prevention, participation and creativity.

Instead of waiting for crisis, the project meets young people earlier. Through theatre, digital tools and creative practice, it gives them space to express themselves, build confidence and develop the skills they need to navigate life.

At its core is a simple but powerful idea: participation in creative activity can improve mental health — not as a supplement, but as a system-level solution.

Over the next three years, the project will scale three interconnected strands:

• A nationally distributed digital programme (MELVA) for children aged 7–11
• Practical tools and training for teachers and professionals to support wellbeing
• Place-based creative health programmes in communities with limited access to support

Together, these efforts aim to reach tens of thousands of young people — while also influencing how mental health support is understood, delivered and funded in the UK.

What the Kavli Trust funding will support

The Kavli Trust is investing in both reach and system change.

The funding will:

• Expand and distribute the MELVA digital programme nationally, making evidence-based support accessible to more schools and communities
• Develop and roll out a Wellbeing Practice Guide and Evaluation Toolkit, equipping teachers and frontline professionals with practical, research-informed methods
• Build and test scalable models for creative health delivery in local communities, including the development of a national centre for creative health in Ashington

Crucially, the funding also supports knowledge-sharing, advocacy and policy engagement — helping ensure that what works locally can influence national systems.

This is not just about delivering programmes. It’s about shifting how society responds to children’s mental health — from reactive to preventive, from siloed to collaborative.

About Mortal Fools

Mortal Fools is a UK-based theatre, drama and creative learning organisation with a clear mission: to strengthen relationships and wellbeing through creativity.

Founded in 2012, the organisation works with children and young people aged 7–21, combining high-quality artistic practice with a deep commitment to social impact. Their approach is participatory, co-creative and grounded in real lives — giving young people not just a voice, but a platform.

From grassroots work in Northumberland to national training programmes and cross-sector partnerships, Mortal Fools operates at the intersection of arts, education and health. Their work doesn’t just engage young people — it challenges audiences, influences practice and contributes to wider system change.