Co-developing a method for assessing the psychosocial impact of cultural interventions with displaced people: Towards an integrated care framework

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Genetics Evolution and Environment

Abstract

Stories of displaced people, migration and immigration continue to occupy headline news here in the UK and abroad. Less well documented are the huge efforts being made by displaced people and associated relief agencies to deal with the challenges of displacement and migration. There are a host of temporary 'pop-up', as well as more established arts, heritage and cultural programmes which are aimed at displaced people who are currently in transition, for example in camps, and those refugees who have reached their resettlement destination. The impact of these programmes on participants' health and wellbeing has often been overlooked in relation to their overall health and how such cultural programmes contribute to recovery, adjustment and other challenges associated with displacement. By working in collaboration with a UK based arts and mental health charity and a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, we wish to better understand the role of creative arts and cultural activities in improving the health and wellbeing. We will also explore the potential for the arts to play a central role in improving issues associated with resettlement, employability and learning new skills, and consider how this could feed into relevant policies such as those related to immigration.

New research shows how damaging displacement is for people's physical and mental health, overall wellbeing and opportunities to flourish, such as employability. Along with issues such as the loss of a sense of belonging, identity and isolation, research shows that refugees and displaced people are more likely to experience mental health problems, such as major depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These problems arise from the trauma associated with exposure to violence and difficulties encountered in the migration journey, as well as migration-related difficulties in their countries of resettlement such as issues with immigration, employment and income.

Jordan hosts the highest number of Palestinian refugees of all five fields of United Nations operations. Those 1.95 million registered Palestinian refugees constitute over 40% of all registered refugees in the Near East. The first Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan were established almost 60 years ago following the 1948 Israeli-Arab war. Since then, the refugees had to craft their lives away from their homeland and traditional support systems. The current situation of refugees is complex as the new generations suffer limited access to resources, poverty and poor environmental conditions while at the same time continue to live a non-ending temporary situation inside camps. The frustrations of alienation and poverty have led to depression, anxiety and frustration. This has been addressed through interventions in camps, usually partnering with local organisations, addressing mental health through arts or culture. However, these activities are usually conducted without a systematic assessment of process or impact. Similarly, in European camps and refugee organisations, the impact of arts programmes has not been assessed in relation to overall health and wellbeing.

To understand the impact of creative and cultural activities we will collect evidence from displaced people by working closely with them and charities and organisations in the UK and Jordan. We will use this information to inform the development of a new method for collecting evidence which takes into account the health and wellbeing of displaced people and we will co-produce a toolkit which has a more integrated and holistic approach to care. This toolkit will be made widely available and will have relevance for anyone working with vulnerable audiences. We will also create a range of other outputs, including a short film to be produced by displaced people and refugees, which will provide an opportunity for them to decide which stories are told and to take back ownership of their own journeys of displacement.

Planned Impact

The research will offer societal, cultural and economic impact across a number of spheres.
Societal impact: For those members of the community who are at risk or vulnerable, due to displacement, migration, social isolation, mental ill-health or physical impairment, the research will provide evidence of how the arts, creativity and culture play a role in improving health and wellbeing. The research will also help identify the benefits of learning new skills which may be helpful for employability, building a sense of community, social capital and resilience, which in turn will bring about economic benefits for those individuals engaged in creative or cultural activities, but also for those communities and organisations supporting displaced people and refugees. In Talbiyeh and other Palestinian camps for example, the benefits will include gender empowerment, as the project is sponsored locally by the Women Programs Center, a trusted organisation for women and youth activity, which will facilitate female participation and training in an otherwise very conservative community. Further, joint workshops with Zaatari Refugee camp (created by UNHCR in 2013 for Syrian refugees in Jordan) will build social ties among refugee communities and facilitate bonding, exchange of experiences and cooperation across the borders created by UN and host government.

Cultural impact: (1) Partners in the research will benefit from being involved in a high impact, university led research programme that will (a) provide evidence of the impact of the importance of creative and cultural participation on health and wellbeing and (b), help develop partnership working across sectors, camps and relief organisations.
(2) Artists, heritage and cultural professionals will benefit from the research in a number of ways including (a) training and advice regarding methods and audience development and partnerships with academic researchers; (b), participation in a project that will expand their programmes to meet the needs of their communities in a more practical and strategic way; and (c) the opportunity to co-develop a methods toolkit that has practical applications in their settings and can be shared across other settings.
(3) Society and the general public will benefit by being made aware of the links between creative and cultural participation and health and wellbeing. Similarly, the practical nature of the toolkit, developed in collaboration with partners in the UK and Jordan, means that it will be transferable across a range of organisations in different settings.

Third sector impact: Professionals and volunteers in organisations allied to migration and health promotion, including charities and support groups, NGOs and other not-for-profit organisations (e.g. Care4Calais, Citizens UK, Help Refugees, Humanitarian Aid & Wellbeing Association, International Organisation for Migration, Migration Museum, Good Chance Theatre, Hands International, Art Refuge UK, Counterpoint Arts, National Museums Liverpool International Slavery Museum, The British Museum, Arts Council England, UNHCR, UNRWA) will benefit from the development of a novel toolkit for assessing the impact of arts engagement for marginalised and vulnerable audiences which has been created through partnership working using a robust mixed-methods research framework.

Economic value for money: The research will provide a forum to expand the remit of arts and cultural organisations to play a more central role in supporting displaced people, refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable audiences. This will have knock-on effects for potentially reducing the cost of services supporting these audiences such as health and social care providers, refugee camps and other relief organisations.
 
Title Moving Objects: Stories of Displacement Exhibition. UCL Octagon Gallery 18th Feb 2019 - 1st Oct 2019 
Description Moving Objects: Stories of Displacement draws on UCL-based projects working with Refugee Hosts, UCL Migration Research Unit (UCL Geography), Forced Displacement and Cultural Interventions, and the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance in partnership with the Helen Bamber Foundation. The exhibition is jointly led by Dr Beverley Butler (UCL Institute of Archaeology), Professor Helen Chatterjee (UCL Biosciences), Alejandra Carles-Tolra and Jessy Boon Cowler (Helen Bamber Foundation, Photography Group) and Professor Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh (UCL Geography). 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2019 
Impact An example of co-producing a creative research output with research project partners, including refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and Middle East. 
URL https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/whats-on/moving-objects
 
Description We have gathered significant data from service users, refugees and asylum seekers regarding the impact of arts activities on psychosocial health. We have co-produced creative and craft workshops and use these as opportunities to gather ideas, evidence and information at both partner sites (Talbiyeh Refugee Camp in Jordan and Helen Bamber Foundation in London).
Exploitation Route We are writing up our fundings for publications and have just submitted a Follow on grant with the British Council to translate our findings into policy
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Creative Economy

Healthcare

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

URL https://culturehealthresearch.wordpress.com/forced-displacement-and-cultural-interventions/
 
Description We have been awarded several small aditional grants to a) run co-production workshops using methods developed in this grant with refugees and marginalised audiences in Italy and hsrain our leanign with museums in Rome; b) to co-produce an exhibition at UCL and later travelling to other Museums based on the findings of our research.
First Year Of Impact 2018
Sector Healthcare,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

 
Description UCL Centre for Critical Heritage
Amount £2,050 (GBP)
Organisation University College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2018 
End 07/2018
 
Description UCL Global Engagement Funding
Amount £5,300 (GBP)
Organisation University College London 
Department UCL Global Engagement Office
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2018 
End 07/2018
 
Description UCL Grand Challenges
Amount £1,000 (GBP)
Organisation University College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2018 
End 07/2018
 
Description UCL Internal GCRF Small Grant
Amount £78,000 (GBP)
Organisation University College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2020 
End 06/2020
 
Description Arts and forced migration parnerships 
Organisation Helen Bamber Foundation
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We worked with clientsm, staff and relatives at the Helen Bamber Foundation and Talbiyeh Refugee Camp - running workshops and co-researching the impact of arts activities
Collaborator Contribution Our partners ran a series of arts-based workshops
Impact We have been asked to deliver a range of talks and workshops about the research and our approach to co-production and co-research including: for the Natiional Heritage Forum, heritage Science alliance, AHRC and ESRC
Start Year 2017
 
Description Arts and forced migration parnerships 
Organisation Petra University
Country Jordan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We worked with clientsm, staff and relatives at the Helen Bamber Foundation and Talbiyeh Refugee Camp - running workshops and co-researching the impact of arts activities
Collaborator Contribution Our partners ran a series of arts-based workshops
Impact We have been asked to deliver a range of talks and workshops about the research and our approach to co-production and co-research including: for the Natiional Heritage Forum, heritage Science alliance, AHRC and ESRC
Start Year 2017
 
Description Arts and forced migration parnerships 
Organisation Talbiyeh Refugee Camp Jordan
Country Jordan 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We worked with clientsm, staff and relatives at the Helen Bamber Foundation and Talbiyeh Refugee Camp - running workshops and co-researching the impact of arts activities
Collaborator Contribution Our partners ran a series of arts-based workshops
Impact We have been asked to deliver a range of talks and workshops about the research and our approach to co-production and co-research including: for the Natiional Heritage Forum, heritage Science alliance, AHRC and ESRC
Start Year 2017
 
Description National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing 
Organisation British Museum
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Our research has led to the development of a national consortium for museums and health which we lead in partnership with: National Museums Liverpool, the British Museum, the UK Medical Collections Group represented by the Thackray Medical Museum, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, Manchester Museums and Galleries Partnership, the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at the University of Leicester's School of Museum Studies, the Museums Association and the National Alliance for Arts, Health & Wellbeing.
Collaborator Contribution H Chatterjee is Founder and Chair of the Alliance
Impact MUSEUMS FOR HEALTH & WELLBEING CONFERENCE (2 March 2016, Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester) The first national conference of the National Alliance for Museums, Health & Wellbeing: https://museumsandwellbeingalliance.wordpress.com/news/
Start Year 2015
 
Description National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing 
Organisation National Museums Liverpool
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Our research has led to the development of a national consortium for museums and health which we lead in partnership with: National Museums Liverpool, the British Museum, the UK Medical Collections Group represented by the Thackray Medical Museum, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, Manchester Museums and Galleries Partnership, the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at the University of Leicester's School of Museum Studies, the Museums Association and the National Alliance for Arts, Health & Wellbeing.
Collaborator Contribution H Chatterjee is Founder and Chair of the Alliance
Impact MUSEUMS FOR HEALTH & WELLBEING CONFERENCE (2 March 2016, Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester) The first national conference of the National Alliance for Museums, Health & Wellbeing: https://museumsandwellbeingalliance.wordpress.com/news/
Start Year 2015
 
Description National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing 
Organisation University of Leicester
Department School of Museum Studies
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our research has led to the development of a national consortium for museums and health which we lead in partnership with: National Museums Liverpool, the British Museum, the UK Medical Collections Group represented by the Thackray Medical Museum, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, Manchester Museums and Galleries Partnership, the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at the University of Leicester's School of Museum Studies, the Museums Association and the National Alliance for Arts, Health & Wellbeing.
Collaborator Contribution H Chatterjee is Founder and Chair of the Alliance
Impact MUSEUMS FOR HEALTH & WELLBEING CONFERENCE (2 March 2016, Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester) The first national conference of the National Alliance for Museums, Health & Wellbeing: https://museumsandwellbeingalliance.wordpress.com/news/
Start Year 2015
 
Description Centre for Cultural Value, Culture on Referral workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Sharing data and findings from mutliple studies on theipotential of social prescribing to address health inequity
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Delivered over 20 invited talks at conferences and workshops 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact We have delivered a range of talks and workshops by invitation to a host of cultural, 3rd sector, health and social care bodies including museums and galleries (in the UK, Rome, Australia, Netherlands), AGE UK branches, the Museums Association conference (2016), universities and at the House of Lords as part of the APPG Inquiry into Arts and Health.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/APPG
 
Description Experiences of Creativity 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact As part of the ESRC projct we co-produced this workshop geared towards the public for showcasing the positive effects arts and creative activities have on wellbeing for refugees and asylum seekers
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://culturehealthresearch.wordpress.com/forced-displacement-and-cultural-interventions/
 
Description Invited speaker 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact University of Cambridge: Equalities and Wellbeing Keynote Lecture
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/about-us/equality-inclusion-wellbeing/annual-equality-and-wellbeing-lectur...
 
Description More Culture, Less Medicine Conference, Brighton and Hove City Council 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This conference sought to draw attention to the value of culture in supporting public health; I gave the Keynote providing context and key findings from our research
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.creativefuture.org.uk/arts-health-and-wellbeing/more-culture-less-medicine-2/
 
Description Moving Object Exhibition launch and symposium 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact This symposium involved researchers, students, artists and research participants who collaborated in this and other GCRF projects at UCL and aimed to raise awareness of the value of arts in supporting displaced people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of-advanced-studies/events/2019/mar/moving-objects-symposium-and-lau...
 
Description Reframing Museums Conference, Louvre Abu Dhabi + New York University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact At this confrenece organised by the Louvre Abu Dhabi + New York University I spoke about Museums and Empathy - this sparked lots of interesting discussion about how museums support emotional wellbeing, e.g. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/louvre-abu-dhabi-symposium
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/events/2020/november/reframing-museums.html
 
Description Research co-production workshops 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact We ran a total of 12 research workshops in London and Jordan exploring the role of arts-making (craft, fine arts, embroidery, film making, photography) and co-research with participants the impact and value of these activities on their psychologoical wellbeing; we are writing the results up for 2 X book chapters (one in press), and 2 X journal artciles. (forthcoming)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017,2018
URL https://culturehealthresearch.wordpress.com/forced-displacement-and-cultural-interventions/
 
Description Seminar at Cardiff University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Delivered a talk on natural and cultural assets, community participation and the links between human and environmental health to the Environmental Psychology Dept at Cardiff Uni.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Talk, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This invited talk was arranged to support and guide the Art Gallery of Ontario's community development programme; the Q&A that followed helped the museum to argue for expanding their programme to include more people from disadvantaged communities and consider issues of health inequaities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Talk, National Social Prescribing Champions Scheme Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I was pleased to share findings from multiple studies about the value of social prescirbing to people from marginalised backgrounds, which sparked lots of great questions frok the audience about how to make social prescribing more accessible and equitable.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020