Evidence & Resources For Arts And Health
Appendix 1 – Key bodies of evidence for arts and health
Three of the most comprehensive systematic reviews that pull together the ever-increasing body of evidence for arts and health are:
- The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing report “Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing“ (2017)
- The World Health Organisation Health Evidence Network Report “What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?“ (2019)
- The UK National Centre for Creative Health “Creative Health Review“ (2023) – see appendix 2 below for more information.
They conclude that the arts and creativity can:
- Enable people to take greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing and enjoy a greater quality of life.
- Have a positive impact on the social determinants, enhance health and wellbeing.
- Improve the humanity, value for money and overall effectiveness of the health and social care systems – it can save the system money.
- Make a major contribution to both the prevention of ill health and the treatment and management of long-term conditions.
- Help meet major challenges facing the health and social care systems: ageing population, long-term conditions, mental health, isolation and loneliness.
Locally, the case for Arts and Health is neatly summarised in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s first Arts and Wellbeing Strategy (2020-25) – “Creating Healthy Lives Through the Arts”. Its vision is “To enhance care and enrich lives of our people through engagement with the Arts” by “building on the evidence-based practice that has shown that the arts can make a major contribution to both the prevention of ill health and management of long-term conditions”.
Appendix 2 – Key creative health resources, toolkits and quality improvement frameworks
Creative Health Review (NCCH)
https://ncch.org.uk/creative-health-review
The National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing’s Creative Health Review highlights the potential for creative health to help tackle pressing issues in health and social care and more widely, including health inequalities. Central to the Creative Health Review were a series of public online roundtables on the main themes: mental health and wellbeing across the life course; health inequalities; social care; end of life care and bereavement; education and training; cost-effectiveness, evidencing value for money and funding models; leadership and strategy.
Speakers included academics, policy makers, health providers, creative practitioners and people with lived experience. A Lived Experience Advisory Group and a panel of Commissioners, including Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, Dr Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England, Monty Don, Baroness Estelle Morris, Baroness Lola Young, Rob Webster, CEO of West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, and other parliamentarians and health leaders, helped translate evidence into recommendations to Government and Metro Mayors.
The Review report was published in December 2023 and calls on the Government to develop a cross-departmental Creative Health Strategy which recognises creative health as a vital component of a preventative and person-centred approach to health and wellbeing which will reduce pressure on the health and social care system, reduce inequalities and support and economically prosperous society. The report references the ever-strengthening body of research and includes a wide range of good practice examples of creative health in action across the life course.
Creative Health Toolkit (NCCH)
https://creativehealthtoolkit.org.uk/
The Creative Health Toolkit was developed by the National Centre for Creative Health in partnership with NHS England and four Integrated Care Systems in Gloucestershire; Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin; Suffolk & North East Essex; and West Yorkshire. It aims to support all ICSs to embed creative health in their systems. The toolkit covers Creative Health in Systems; Creative Health in Context; and Creative Health in Action.
In Systems is structured with reference to five domains: Leadership, Strategy & Governance; Planning & Commissioning; Workforce Development; Digital & Technology; and Evidence & Impact.
In Context covers how creative health approaches can help in the context of health inequalities; the wider determinants of health; self-management; health and care settings; and across the life course.
In Action includes a series of checklists as a means to prompt ways to develop and deliver creative health approaches and activities.
In Systems and In Context include Illustrative Examples, primarily from the four ICSs, which are short case studies related to the five domains and the contextual challenges. The toolkit is iterative with an invitation for further illustrative examples to be uploaded.
Creative Health Quality Framework (Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance)
The Creative Health Quality Framework is a ground-breaking tool that clearly articulates what “good” looks like for creative and cultural initiatives that aim to support people’s health and wellbeing. It consists of a set of downloadable PDF resources based around eight Creative Health Quality Principles. It offers clear guidance on how to use these principles to deliver safe and effective projects.
Funded by Arts Council England and developed by Creative Health consultant Jane Willis in collaboration with over 200 people including creative practitioners, participants, health commissioners, and researchers, it is designed to help anyone involved in developing and delivering creative approaches to supporting health and wellbeing.
Download the Quality Framework here, or to access the full Quality Framework Resource Pack click here – https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/resources/creative-health-quality-framework.
Institute of Public Health Ireland – Creative Health resources.
Led by Roger O’Sullivan (Director of Ageing Research of Public Health Ireland), the Institute of Public Health Ireland has produced some wonderful resources that highlight the impact and benefits of Arts, Creativity and Health interventions and activities:
- https://www.publichealth.ie/arts-and-creativity
- https://publichealth.ie/news/new-report-highlights-positive-health-and-wellbeing-impacts-arts-and-creativity-later-life
- https://publichealth.ie/reports/review-economic-evaluation-methodologies-assessment-arts-and-creativity-interventions
- https://publichealth.ie/reports/arts-and-creativity-later-life-implications-health-and-wellbeing-older-adults-systematic
Arts and Health Research and Evaluation toolkit – In 2024 the Institute of Public Health are planning to launch an arts and health research and evaluation Toolkit for helping projects and organisations to evaluate and measure the efficacy of arts in health interventions which will be invaluable to all delivering arts and health work and seeking to demonstrate its impact – Watch this space!
Appendix 3 – Further Reading
Helpful Websites & Resources
Culture, Health, and Wellbeing Alliance
The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a national organisation representing everyone who believes that cultural engagement can transform our health and wellbeing.
Website: https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/
The Social Biobehavioural Research Group
The Social Biobehavioural Research Group at University College London is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre that investigates how social connections and behaviours impact people’s health.
Website: https://sbbresearch.org/
Dance to Health
Dance to Health is a falls prevention dance programme that provides a fun way to increase strength and balance, enabling participants to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle.
Website: https://dancetohealth.org/
Norfolk & Suffolk Culture Board – Culture Drives Impact
Norfolk and Suffolk has a dynamic culture board – a collaboration of culture leaders that work together to build the cultural economy in the area, increasing investment, accelerating inclusive growth, enhancing health and wellbeing, and championing sustainable development.
Culture Drives Impact Manifesto: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Culture-Drives-Impact-The-New-Anglia-LEP.pdf
Norfolk County Council page: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/64957/Norfolk-and-Suffolk-Culture-Board
Suffolk County Council page: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/culture-heritage-and-leisure/suffolk-arts-service/norfolk-and-suffolk-culture-board
National/Local Evidence & Reports
Creative Arts East Our Day Out 2016 – 2022 Impact Report
A comprehensive impact report documenting the outcomes and benefits of Creative Arts East’s community programmes over six years.
Report: https://www.creativeartseast.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2016-22-External-Report.pdf
Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing
The landmark APPG report that provides comprehensive evidence on how arts and cultural activities can improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
The Impact of Arts and Cultural Engagement on Population Health
Research from the Social Biobehavioural Research Group examining how arts and cultural engagement affects population-level health outcomes.
Report: https://sbbresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Arts-and-population-health-FINAL-March-2023.pdf
Training & CPD Opportunities
Culture, Health and Wellbeing: An Online Training Course
A comprehensive online training course designed to build understanding of the relationship between culture, health and wellbeing.
Course: https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/culture-health-and-wellbeing-online-training-course
Arts, Culture and Heritage: Understanding Their Complex Effects on Our Health
An e-learning course from the Royal Society for Public Health exploring how arts, culture and heritage impact health and wellbeing.
Course: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-services/e-learning/courses/arts-culture-and-heritage.html
Additional Information
All of these organisations and resources focus on the intersection of culture, health, and wellbeing, providing evidence-based approaches to improving community health through creative and cultural engagement. The links provided include official websites, research reports, and training opportunities for comprehensive information about programmes, research, and professional development resources.
You can download a PDF of this page here.