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Our UC Creatives Journey: from research to art, voice and empowerment
In this episode of the Fuse ‘Public Health Research and Me’ podcast, host and Fuse public partner, Cheryl Blake, speaks with Mel and PJ who are members of UC Creatives - a participatory arts project co-produced with people who have experience of claiming Universal Credit (UC).
Using personal experiences and stories, they tell us about their passion for - and the power of - creative collaborations and how they are using creative arts to express themselves and raise awareness of the impacts of Universal Credit on mental health and wellbeing. They talk about how to set up a group like this, who is involved with UC Creatives and what opportunities have emerged from the project. Mel and PJ share how this experience differs from simply being asked to 'take part' in research, and they touch on what’s next for the UC Creatives.
Mel and PJ also answer the big question: "If you had one message for our listeners to take away, what would it be?" Listen now to find out.
The monologue in the introduction was written and performed by a member of the UC Creatives.
Listen now on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcast
About our guests
Mel and PJ are members of UC Creatives. The project is part of the public involvement and impact work of a large-scale mixed methods evaluation of the health impacts of UC, a study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). UC Creatives is a collaboration with members of the public with experience of UC, researchers from Newcastle University and Northumbria University, and practitioners from the St Vincent de Paul Society Deaf Centre Newcastle. UC Creatives is the result of a committed and passionate organising team, including seven wonderful creative people with experience of claiming UC.
About our host
Cheryl Blake is an expert by experience who has collaborated closely with Fuse and the wider public partner-led podcast planning group in creating the 'Public Health Research and Me' podcast. Her interests and specialised subjects are around mental and sexual health, domestic abuse, coercive and violent behaviour, and family court and social workers within that system. She supports survivors of sexual/abuse to find female empowerment through art, poetry and meditation.
Resources and further information
- UC Creatives
- UC and Mental Health study
- Evaluation of the Health Impacts of Universal Credit
- NIHR School for Public Health Research
Contact for more information, or a copy of the transcript: info@fuse.ac.uk
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With special thanks to the Fuse podcast group Emma Adams, Victoria Bartle, David Black, Cheryl Blake, Mandy Cheetham, Lesley Haley, Fiona Ling, Cassey Muir, John O’Shea, Laura Ritson, Viola Rook, Cheryl Wiscombe; David Winter and Ben Smith (editing); Shaun O'Boyle (training); and Academic Audio Transcription for transcribing content. Produced by Ella Anderson and Mark Welford.
Music: Tuesday (Glitch Soft Hip-hop) by amaksi.
Image: from the UC CREATIVES mixed media gallery.
Last modified: Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:53:56 GMT
