The Paediatric Diabetes team at Cardiff and Vale UHB have been working with Duke Al to deliver Power of the Pen workshops to young people living with Type 1 diabetes from across Cardiff and the Vale. The ten-week programme which took place at Railway Gardens in Splott, is part of the wider project Space to Grow, funded by the Arts Council of Wales, which is a social prescribing and arts on prescription initiative bringing people together to address inequality, to better manage their health and wellbeing and build strong and resilient, creative green communities for the future. The project is supported by the Arts for Health and Wellbeing Team, Cardiff & Vale Health Charity
Duke Al is a published poet, spoken word artist, rapper, and creative practitioner. Writing rhymes is Duke Al’s therapy. From a young age, Duke Al would scribble raps and poems in his old lyric book. It was his way of expressing himself; an escapism to challenge his OCD. A passion of words, flow and rhyme flared. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 23, the pen was there to help him understand and articulate how he felt. Now he aims to make an impactful change using one rhyme at a time.
The children and young people along with the diabetes team have been working with Duke Al since August this year and have been taken on a creative journey to express their lived experiences through creative writing, storytelling and poetry.