This report brings together the key findings from a major programme of research funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK, entitled: Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery: Connecting Communities for Mental Health and Well-being (2013-2018).

The CPMR programme found compelling and substantial quantitative and qualitative evidence for the benefits of diverse shared creative practices in generating ‘mutual recovery’ of mental health and well- being both within and between different groups of people in different social and professional roles.

Chief benefits for participants included: (1) enhanced connectivity, (2) improved mental health and well-being. However, we did find that: whilst benefiting many participants, clay modelling did not suit everybody; in the adult community education context, some arts participants preferred either to work alone or without an explicit focus on improving well-being; the extent to which online storytelling can promote mutuality remains uncertain; professional roles sometimes limited or acted as a barrier to their participation in shared creative practice; people with serious mental health issues may struggle to remain engaged without direct mental health professional support.

Crawford,P., Hogan,S., Wilson,M., Williamson, A., Manning,N., Brown,B., Lewis,L.(2018). Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery: Research Programme Final Report. UK: University of Nottingham.