Increasing Recognition of the Value of Culture to Health and Wellbeing in Policy and Practice
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Cultural Institute
Abstract
The AHRC Cultural Value Project (CVP) report acknowledges the value of the arts and culture to health, ageing and wellbeing, describing how:
This dynamic field of research is characterised by a diverse range of subjects and approaches: from clinical outcomes to the effects in healthcare settings and community health; from physiological to mental health benefits; from targeted interventions to the effects of broader arts in health projects; from time-specific arts therapies to the effects of long-term arts engagement; from the acute to the preventative and, of course, health being seen not simply as the absence of illness or disease (p. 101).
As part of the CVP, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the present project undertook research into the longitudinal association between arts and cultural engagement and health and wellbeing. This was referenced throughout the CVP report and informed one of its recommendations. As a direct consequence of this, the PI was enlisted as Researcher to an Inquiry instigated by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW). The APPGAHW Inquiry gave rise to a substantial report, which builds upon the CVP report to collate diverse evidence of the value of arts and cultural engagement to health and wellbeing across the life course. Launched in both Houses of Parliament in June 2017, the Inquiry report is aimed at the integration of arts approaches into the health and social care system.
The Inquiry process identified a series of impediments to the widespread uptake of arts approaches within health and social care, which the present project seeks to overcome. The Inquiry also hosted an extensive series of discussions - involving parliamentarians, practitioners, service users and other stakeholders - which demonstrated a well-defined need for the widespread dissemination of research into the value of arts and culture to health and wellbeing. The present project will draw upon research conducted as part of the CVP and APPGAHW Inquiry to enhance acceptance, in policy and practice contexts, of the value of the arts and culture to health and wellbeing.
The CVP report highlights the uneven character of the evidence base and argues for improved evaluation of arts and health projects using methods appropriate to the intervention and the knowledge sought. The present project will involve an exploration of forms of evidence appropriate to the field of arts and health, including those which challenge medical hierarchies. As part of this endeavour, discussions will be held with major funders in the field of arts and health, and the case will be made for the wider pursuit of appropriate mixed methods research.
As its name suggests, this project entails a comprehensive programme of dissemination and advocacy. Policy-makers and decision-takers throughout the UK, including ministers, Members of Parliament and officials, will be presented with a range of evidence of the value of the arts and culture to health and wellbeing. Political, health and social care leaders will also be targeted in a bid to integrate the arts into mainstream health and social care commissioning. The PI will work with APPGAHW to present the most appropriate research-derived evidence to the leaders of NHS England and individual health trusts, clinical commissioning groups, local authorities, the Local Government Association and Public Health England.
In a substantial and innovative part of this project, health and social care professionals (doctors, nurses, carers and technicians) will be approached with evidence of the value of culture to health and wellbeing. This will be done in a way that does not increase workloads, by intervening in major conferences. Passionate champions of the arts and health, including clinicians, practitioners and service users, will be invited to present arts and health work at relevant events, with the aim of overcoming a persistent lack of awareness of arts approaches.
This dynamic field of research is characterised by a diverse range of subjects and approaches: from clinical outcomes to the effects in healthcare settings and community health; from physiological to mental health benefits; from targeted interventions to the effects of broader arts in health projects; from time-specific arts therapies to the effects of long-term arts engagement; from the acute to the preventative and, of course, health being seen not simply as the absence of illness or disease (p. 101).
As part of the CVP, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the present project undertook research into the longitudinal association between arts and cultural engagement and health and wellbeing. This was referenced throughout the CVP report and informed one of its recommendations. As a direct consequence of this, the PI was enlisted as Researcher to an Inquiry instigated by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW). The APPGAHW Inquiry gave rise to a substantial report, which builds upon the CVP report to collate diverse evidence of the value of arts and cultural engagement to health and wellbeing across the life course. Launched in both Houses of Parliament in June 2017, the Inquiry report is aimed at the integration of arts approaches into the health and social care system.
The Inquiry process identified a series of impediments to the widespread uptake of arts approaches within health and social care, which the present project seeks to overcome. The Inquiry also hosted an extensive series of discussions - involving parliamentarians, practitioners, service users and other stakeholders - which demonstrated a well-defined need for the widespread dissemination of research into the value of arts and culture to health and wellbeing. The present project will draw upon research conducted as part of the CVP and APPGAHW Inquiry to enhance acceptance, in policy and practice contexts, of the value of the arts and culture to health and wellbeing.
The CVP report highlights the uneven character of the evidence base and argues for improved evaluation of arts and health projects using methods appropriate to the intervention and the knowledge sought. The present project will involve an exploration of forms of evidence appropriate to the field of arts and health, including those which challenge medical hierarchies. As part of this endeavour, discussions will be held with major funders in the field of arts and health, and the case will be made for the wider pursuit of appropriate mixed methods research.
As its name suggests, this project entails a comprehensive programme of dissemination and advocacy. Policy-makers and decision-takers throughout the UK, including ministers, Members of Parliament and officials, will be presented with a range of evidence of the value of the arts and culture to health and wellbeing. Political, health and social care leaders will also be targeted in a bid to integrate the arts into mainstream health and social care commissioning. The PI will work with APPGAHW to present the most appropriate research-derived evidence to the leaders of NHS England and individual health trusts, clinical commissioning groups, local authorities, the Local Government Association and Public Health England.
In a substantial and innovative part of this project, health and social care professionals (doctors, nurses, carers and technicians) will be approached with evidence of the value of culture to health and wellbeing. This will be done in a way that does not increase workloads, by intervening in major conferences. Passionate champions of the arts and health, including clinicians, practitioners and service users, will be invited to present arts and health work at relevant events, with the aim of overcoming a persistent lack of awareness of arts approaches.
Planned Impact
The following non-academic audiences will benefit from this project in ways detailed here.
POLICY-MAKERS AND DECISION-TAKERS
This includes Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers and officials. Ministers and officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Support (DCMS) will be presented with evidence of the value of the arts and culture to health and wellbeing, enabling the department to build its profile with the Department of Health (DH). Faced with spiralling costs wrought by an ageing population and a prevalence of long-term conditions, DH can benefit from this project by learning about ways in which the arts can meet the most pressing health and social care needs. The Department for Education will be given details of the arts aiding cognitive, emotional and social development. The Department for Work and Pensions will hear how the arts can help to alleviate work-related stress. The Department for Communities and Local Government will be informed about ways in which the arts can enhance place and environment. The Ministry of Justice will learn of the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing within the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Defence will be briefed about how the arts can help to combat post-traumatic stress. Ministers responsible for such areas as mental health will be supplied with an array of case studies and examples of the arts having a positive part to play. MPs attending debates in the House of Commons will be privy to questions and answers illustrating the value of the arts to health and wellbeing. As a whole, this category of beneficiaries will be helped in their development of evidence-based policy, paving the way to sustainable arts and health activities in the future.
POLITICAL, HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE LEADERS
This includes the commissioners of health and social care services. They will be aided in their planning and delivery of services through better understanding the ways in which the arts can help them meet their major objectives. NHS England, NHS trusts, STP leads and clinical commissioning groups will learn of the role of the arts in improving public health, enhancing preventative strategies and managing long-term conditions. Local authorities and the Local Government Association will be made aware of the substantial part the arts have to play in meeting the health and care needs of local populations. Public Health England will be kept apprised of the value of the arts in meeting such objectives as falls prevention. This represents a step towards changing commissioning practices, which holds the potential for significant social impact.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROFESSIONALS
This includes clinical and care staff attending the main conferences of their respective professions. Delegates will be furnished with details of arts-based approaches, tailored to their particular context and delivered by passionate advocates in the field. Where appropriate, this will be accompanied by guidance notes and detailed case studies, combined with access to the PI and related expertise. This evaluated series of interventions will arm health and social care professionals with knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm for arts-based approaches, helping them to achieve better outcomes in their work. This strand of the project will also pay heed to the healthy working lives of health and social care professionals, contributing to the sustainability of the health and social care system.
ARTS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
This includes the many artists and organisational representatives designing and executing arts-based approaches for health and wellbeing in the UK. Dissemination of research undertaken as part of the CVP and the APPGAHW Inquiry will enable arts and health professionals to situate their work within the broader arts and health landscape and embolden them in making the case about the health and wellbeing benefits of their work, potentially leading to publicly beneficial commissisions.
POLICY-MAKERS AND DECISION-TAKERS
This includes Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers and officials. Ministers and officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Support (DCMS) will be presented with evidence of the value of the arts and culture to health and wellbeing, enabling the department to build its profile with the Department of Health (DH). Faced with spiralling costs wrought by an ageing population and a prevalence of long-term conditions, DH can benefit from this project by learning about ways in which the arts can meet the most pressing health and social care needs. The Department for Education will be given details of the arts aiding cognitive, emotional and social development. The Department for Work and Pensions will hear how the arts can help to alleviate work-related stress. The Department for Communities and Local Government will be informed about ways in which the arts can enhance place and environment. The Ministry of Justice will learn of the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing within the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Defence will be briefed about how the arts can help to combat post-traumatic stress. Ministers responsible for such areas as mental health will be supplied with an array of case studies and examples of the arts having a positive part to play. MPs attending debates in the House of Commons will be privy to questions and answers illustrating the value of the arts to health and wellbeing. As a whole, this category of beneficiaries will be helped in their development of evidence-based policy, paving the way to sustainable arts and health activities in the future.
POLITICAL, HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE LEADERS
This includes the commissioners of health and social care services. They will be aided in their planning and delivery of services through better understanding the ways in which the arts can help them meet their major objectives. NHS England, NHS trusts, STP leads and clinical commissioning groups will learn of the role of the arts in improving public health, enhancing preventative strategies and managing long-term conditions. Local authorities and the Local Government Association will be made aware of the substantial part the arts have to play in meeting the health and care needs of local populations. Public Health England will be kept apprised of the value of the arts in meeting such objectives as falls prevention. This represents a step towards changing commissioning practices, which holds the potential for significant social impact.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROFESSIONALS
This includes clinical and care staff attending the main conferences of their respective professions. Delegates will be furnished with details of arts-based approaches, tailored to their particular context and delivered by passionate advocates in the field. Where appropriate, this will be accompanied by guidance notes and detailed case studies, combined with access to the PI and related expertise. This evaluated series of interventions will arm health and social care professionals with knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm for arts-based approaches, helping them to achieve better outcomes in their work. This strand of the project will also pay heed to the healthy working lives of health and social care professionals, contributing to the sustainability of the health and social care system.
ARTS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
This includes the many artists and organisational representatives designing and executing arts-based approaches for health and wellbeing in the UK. Dissemination of research undertaken as part of the CVP and the APPGAHW Inquiry will enable arts and health professionals to situate their work within the broader arts and health landscape and embolden them in making the case about the health and wellbeing benefits of their work, potentially leading to publicly beneficial commissisions.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
| Description | This award provided follow-on funding to enhance the impact of research undertaken during an Inquiry held by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing. In the personal portfolio, 18 indicative engagement activities are reported which illustrate the range of non-academic audiences addressed during the period of the grant. These span health and social care professionals, cultural practitioners, policy-makers, funders, researchers, educators and students while demonstrating local, regional, national and international reach. Appropriate aspects of the Creative Health report were presented to diverse audiences and generated an enthusiastic response. The reported engagement activities were combined with regional arts and health conference around the country (organised by Arts Council England's Sector Support Organisation the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance) and complemented by appearances by members of the APPGAHW at various non-academic conferences and public events. As a result of these concerted dissemination activities, awareness of the health and wellbeing benefits of arts engagement was enhanced greatly during the period of the grant. On 8 November 2018, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care gave a speech at the King's Fund annual conference entitled 'The power of the arts and social activities to improve the nation's health' (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-power-of-the-arts-and-social-activities-to-improve-the-nations-health). This speech asserted that 'We should value the arts and social activities because they're essential to our health and wellbeing', paid tribute to 'the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing for their Creative Health report, which applied some much needed rigorous analysis to the research', outlined the three key messages from Creative Health and paraphrased several of the practice examples. Since the grant ended, the report that underpinned it - Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing - has continued to make positive waves in the field. In response to the first of 10 recommendations in the report, a National Centre for Creative Health has been established. A new Masters course at University College London arose in response to another of the recommendations. Discussions continue around the remaining recommendations, with the Principal Investigator playing a part in the related Advisory Group. The National Academy for Social Prescribing recognises the value of the arts, culture and heritage to health and wellbeing, and many GPs and link workers are now socially prescribing creative and cultural activities. Many arts, cultural and heritage organisations report the value of this work to their professional practice. The Principal Investigator collaborated with Lord Howarth of Newport, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing to write a chapter for an Oxford University Press anthology. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) commissioned a report by Professor Clive Parkinson which built on the recommendations of the Creative Health report. This report, called A Social Glue, has led to the Principal Investigator being invited to devise the delivery plan mentioned in the Impact section. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Greater Manchester Combined Authority as a Creative Health City Region |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
| Description | A New Direction Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A New Direction is London's cultural education agency. This presentation was centred on the role of arts engagement in education and schools, taking account of education as a social determinant of health and arts engagement as a tool for maintaining wellbeing. The research evidence backing up practice was embraced. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Annual GKT School of Medical Education Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to medical students and medical educators about the ways in which arts engagement could help them in their work, which generated a sustained discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Arts and Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A detailed overview of the findings of Creative Health was presented across the life course to a mixed audience and prompted an enthusiastic response. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Arts as Essential Vaccine? Exploring Creative Health in Wales |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Following the publication of a national review of arts and health activity by Arts Council of Wales, this discussion involved the Chair of Arts Council of Wales and a representative from the delivery team of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. The focus was on the role of the arts in overcoming health inequalities, and it provoked a lively debate. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/arts-as-essential-vaccine-exploring-creative-health-in-wales-tickets-... |
| Description | Cultural Institute - Arts in Dentistry event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to dental students at King's College London about the possible role of the arts in dentistry, which laid the foundations for funding bids for arts and health seed funding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Culture and the Arts as Social Determinants of Health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Greater Manchester is the crucible of arts and health activity in the UK, and its population health plan aims to tackle the social determinants of health. This event, which examined the arts as a social determinant of health, provided an opportunity to elaborate on Creative Health's argument that arts engagement can help to mitigate health inequalities. The audience of practitioners and policy-makers was very receptive to the ideas presented. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/culture-the-arts-as-social-determinants-of-health-tickets-41625736699 |
| Description | Introduction to Arts and Health Early Career Research Network for Arts and Health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The Early Career Research Network for Arts and Health, instigated by Dr Daisy Fancourt at University College London, was presented with an overview of the method and findings of the APPGAHW Inquiry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Local Government - The Arts and Older People |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Meeting convened by Nottingham City Council was presented with an overview of practice and research from the field of arts and older people. This prompted a lively discussions and several conversations, and the local authority reported increased awareness of the arts in the lives of older people. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Masters-Level Training Arts Therapies and Participatory Arts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on postgraduate training in the participatory arts drawing on research conducted for Creative Health. An engaged audience of educators, arts practitioners and local authority representatives reported increased knowledge and awareness of training need and provision. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Nordic expert meeting on culture, arts and health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This meeting in Stockholm, attended by arts and health experts from the five Nordic countries, was presented with evidence from Creative Health. A keynote speech by Lord Howarth of Newport (co-chair of the APPGAHW) was followed by a panel discussion, in which the PI participated, looking at the advances that had been made and the necessary next steps. The event generated much interest in work being carried out in the UK which was taken to be exemplary. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Norfolk Arts Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to representatives from Norwich City Council and arts practitioners from across East Anglia, centred on the local authority remit including arts, public health and social care. This sparked an animated discussion, and organisers reported increased awareness and receptivity of councillors. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Presentation about arts and health to Mayor of London's Thrive team |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of a range of evidence taken from Creative Health linking arts engagement with particularly mental health and wellbeing. Increased awareness was reported of how the arts might help to overcome persistent urban inequalities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thrive-ldn-mental-health-culture-event-tickets-41333114458 |
| Description | Sound Connections Early Years Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Sound Connection is a network that 'supports and empowers individuals and organisations to deliver high quality music-making with children and young people'. This presentation to teachers from across London was centred on the benefits of high-quality music-making to early childhood development. Greater awareness of the research underpinning practice was greatly appreciated. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Speed Dating at POW! Thanet |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Power of Women (POW) festival is a week-long arts-based celebration of international women's day. For the 2018 iteration of the festival, women were asked to take part in a 'speed dating' exercise with small groups, presenting influential ideas in a limited time. The focus of this rapid and repeated presentation was on the health and wellbeing benefits of arts engagement to women and children. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk entitled Connecting across sectors: how the arts can play a key role in improving the public's health as part of the King's Fund's annual conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This talk focused on the public health aspects of the Creative Health report and was delivered to a range of professional practitioners including health and care professionals. A lively discussion about the benefits of arts engagement to public health was generated. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | TalkingPOINTS BMA Conference session: The Medicinal Role of the Arts and Culture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This drop-in session at the British Medical Association annual conference showcased evidence from Creative Health. The audience mainly comprised medics and healthcare professionals who responded warmly to the ideas presented. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | TanDem conference on Arts and Dementia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The TanDem Doctoral Training Centre is a partnership between the Association for Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester and the Centre for Dementia, University of Nottingham funded by the Alzheimer's Society. At this national conference, specialists in the arts and dementia were invited to present their work. An overview of the lengthy section of Creative Health on arts and dementia was provided and met with an enthusiastic response. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | UK Public Health Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Royal Society of Public Health's expert meeting of public health professionals was presented with some of the most compelling evidence from Creative Health pertaining to public health. This was met by widespread recognition of the public health benefits of arts engagement and a discussion about how they might be mainstreamed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |