‘An anchor in a stormy sea’: An arts in health project for healthcare staff during COVID-19

This case study provides an overview of ‘Sidestep’, an arts in health project for staff at a specialist child sexual abuse unit in an Irish paediatric hospital, under-taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of the project was to provide a ‘virtual creative space’ to support staff across this period of professional and personal challenge. The project was evaluated using pencil and paper question-naires, and participant feedback is included here, to illuminate the value of an art-based approach to supporting staff well-being at times of crisis and change. Staff described participation in the project as a unique experience which allowed for connection and a sense of ballast during remote working conditions, as well as providing opportunities for meaning-making and reflection. The article is accom-panied by images from the project to illustrate the ways in which participants used the image-making process to explore experiences of the pandemic.