DR BETHAN RYLAND
CREATIVE HEALTH | EVALUATION | CONSULTANCY
DR BETHAN RYLAND
CREATIVE HEALTH | EVALUATION | CONSULTANCY
Research. Evaluation. Development. Practice.
My work spans independent evaluation, research, professional training, creative health, project development and strategic cultural work.
Rather than following one route, projects often connect these areas - research can inform training, evaluation can shape future delivery, and evidence can strengthen funding and strategic decisions.
The examples below show some of that work in practice.
Previous Projects
Creative Connections Evaluation
Independent Evaluation | Children & Young People | Foster Care
I was commissioned to undertake the independent evaluation of Creative Connections, a creative programme developed by Action for Children and Foster Care Wales for children and young people in foster care and their families.
The evaluation brought together quantitative and qualitative evidence, including participation data, children’s responses, foster-carer perspectives, practitioner observations, creative outputs and structured session evidence.
Rather than simply asking whether the programme had been successful, the evaluation explored what changed, how change happened and what could be learned from the experience of children, families and practitioners.
The findings identified evidence around confidence and engagement, relationships and communication, choice and agency, emotional wellbeing, and achievement and pride. They also highlighted areas for future development, resulting in practical recommendations around programme duration, creative approaches, practitioner support, progression and future evaluation.
The final evaluation provided Action for Children with a robust account of the programme’s impact alongside evidence and learning that could support future development and funding.
Blackwood Miners’ Institute
Strategic Cultural Development | Partnership Working | Future Planning
My work with Blackwood Miners’ Institute took place during a period of significant uncertainty about the future of an important cultural venue.
I led transition work focused on exploring a viable way forward, working across local authority structures and with cultural partners, stakeholders and funders, securing over half a million pounds in investment for the venue's future sustainability
The process brought together evidence, feasibility work, partnership development, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning while recognising both the Institute’s cultural significance and its importance to the community it serves.
This work demonstrates another dimension of my practice:
Working strategically across organisations and sectors to navigate complexity and develop a credible way forward.
Professional Training & Knowledge Exchange
Training | Facilitation | Higher Education | Workforce Development
Sharing research, evidence and practical experience with others has been an important strand of my work.
I have delivered sessions through a Wales-wide professional training programme, provided training for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and worked with organisations and partnerships including Llamau and the Cardiff and Vale Regional Partnership Board.
I am also a guest lecturer at the University of South Wales and have presented papers and shared research and practice with academic and professional audiences.
My training is bespoke, practical and interactive, shaped around the organisation, the people taking part and the context in which they work. Rather than delivering generic training packages, I design sessions around specific needs and objectives, combining research and evidence with practical activities, discussion, reflection and shared learning.
I want people to be actively involved rather than simply listening to a presentation, leaving with ideas, tools and approaches they can confidently apply in their own practice.
Creative Health & Community Practice
Staying connected to delivery
Alongside consultancy, research and evaluation, I remain actively involved in creative and community practice through Dr B Creative CIC and other collaborative projects.
This keeps my wider work connected to the realities of developing, funding and delivering projects - including the challenges of reaching people, building trust, responding to changing circumstances and sustaining work beyond the initial funding.
Arts & Hills
Creative Health | Community Engagement | Evaluation
A pilot project funded by the Arts Council of Wales, collaborating with 19 Hills Health & Wellbeing Centre, Newport Youth Academy and other stakeholders in Ringland, Newport, Arts & Hills explored how creative activity could contribute to wellbeing, participation and community life.
The pilot generated valuable learning about place, trust and accessibility. Delivering activity across schools, youth provision, community venues and healthcare settings provided an opportunity to understand how location, existing relationships and perceptions of place can influence engagement.
.jpg)
The evaluation used those differences in participation to identify practical learning and recommendations for future creative provision.
We All Sit Together
Creative Ageing | Accessible Movement | Social Connection
The We All Sit Together project was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and developed to create accessible opportunities for movement, creativity and connection, particularly for people who may face barriers to participation as a result reduced mobility or health related challenges.
Across the funded period, the programme exceeded its original delivery target, providing 196 sessions and generating 1,126 participant engagements.
Its impact extended beyond attendance. Participants developed friendships, routines and informal support networks, with relationships continuing outside the sessions through social activities, trips and regular contact.
The project demonstrates the value of providing accessible creative opportunities consistently, locally and over time.
Impact that leads somewhere
The value of research and evaluation is not simply in producing a finished report. It is in what organisations are able to do with the knowledge afterwards.
Learning might lead to a programme being redesigned, a stronger funding proposal, changes in professional practice, a new partnership or a clearer direction for future development.
That is the thread running through my work: