DoWell Co-Design Workshop Series 2025-26: Session 2. Craftwell: Heritage craft, climate futures and young people’s wellbeing

Speaker: Pete Coventry is Professor of Health, Environment and Society at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research spans public health, mental health and environmental sustainability, with a focus on developing and evaluating creative, community-based and nature-based interventions. He has expertise in trials, evidence synthesis, and qualitative research, and has led large multi-disciplinary programmes funded by NIHR and UKRI. Pete is particularly interested in how design, place and cultural practices can contribute to prevention, resilience, and wellbeing.

Topic to be explored: Craftwell is a feasibility study that explored the use of heritage craft practices (e.g. outdoor crafting to make heritage objects and artefacts in natural settings) to enhance wellbeing, nature connection and collective resilience. The project tested both the acceptability and benefits of engaging with intangible cultural heritage in group settings. Findings suggested that such practices can evoke shared cultural identity, creativity, and meaning-making while offering a low-carbon, place-based alternative to conventional mental health interventions.