Whilst these expressions have been positive, it is undeniable that this sudden change of our usual way of life can be very worrying and has taken a profound toll on our mental health. Arts have been used to depict this too. We've seen groups like the Newport Youth Council tackle these problems through art, with a powerful video about how lockdown restrictions impacted them. Many studies have shown that engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer or a participant, can enhance a person's mood, as well as other psychological benefits by releasing natural endorphins around the body. A University College London study tracked weekly a cohort of 72,000 adults across the UK. It found that people who spent 30 minutes or more each day, during the pandemic, on arts activities like reading for pleasure, listening to music or engaging in a creative hobby have lower reported rates of depression and anxiety and greater life satisfaction. Simply put, if ever there was a year for us to all get creative, then 2020 has most certainly been that year.

It's particularly cruel, then, that our arts sector has been profoundly hit by the impact of COVID. Health measures such as social distancing and restrictions on group gatherings have seen our traditional art outlets limited or closed. Public facilities and essential services, where many escape the feelings of isolation or found solace in being creative, have struggled. Our theatres, music venues, dance schools, museums, art galleries and community centres, even choirs, bands and art classes, have all had to severely restrict their activities. They've been working hard to keep people in touch, and some events, such as the Hay winter festival and Newport's Art on the Hill will go ahead, albeit in a very different way. They rely on people getting together, so the arts have faced some of the most hard-hitting structural challenges of any industry. The Senedd's Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee has found that Wales risks losing an entire generation of artists and undoing years of positive work and investment. I'm grateful that the Welsh Government are helping those in this sector through the cultural recovery fund, but we must continue to drive this support, as it's crucial that we do all we can to ensure that they're still there in a post-COVID world.

Like many industries, it's been encouraging to see how organisations have rapidly established new ways of working and how many have strived to reach out to communities that they can no longer visit in person. This can be done in more traditional ways, but also, by adapting and using new technologies, we can use the arts to help maintain good mental health and well-being. There are so many examples of good practice around Wales, and I wanted to use my time today to highlight just some of the great work being done here.

The Head4Arts programme Head4 Health have been working with voluntary community organisations offering creative experiences remotely for those most in need, such as those who don't have access to the internet. This includes offering craft packs, included in doorstep drop-offs, and communicating with older people by post and telephone. Impelo@HOME in Powys offers care homes and day centres that support adults with disabilities DVDs to address problems with accessing services online. This programme was launched directly from community feedback saying they wanted to dance with the practitioners doing similar classes to the ones they used to attend. Lost in Art, a project for people living with dementia created by Denbighshire Leisure, offers those living in the community with dementia materials, packs delivered to their doorsteps, a weekly tutorial film e-mailed to them, and offers two phone calls a week—one landline, one FaceTime or WhatsApp call—to support members in their creative practice. Many arts organisations and practitioners have also switched to delivering services online, and have been able to implement classes using online platforms such as Zoom, YouTube and social media.