UK Timeline 2015

Music for change: Health and education outcomes through music in early years settings; an evaluation

This report outlines the impact of the ‘Early Years Music’ (EYM) project in Kent to over 1450 children in 48 early years settings over 12 months.

Speech Bubbles: an evaluation of the 2013-14 extended programme funded by the Shine Trust

An evaluation of a drama-led intervention aimed at improving speech, language and
communication (SLC) in selected school children in Key Stage 1 (six- and seven-year-olds), specifically targeted at schools serving areas of social and economic disadvantage in London – developed by London Bubble Theatre Co...

The work of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation: An evaluation

An evaluation of the work of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation.

Singing for mental health and wellbeing: findings from West Kent and Medway

Dementia-friendly Arts Guide: A practical guide to becoming a dementia-friendly arts venue

Getting On – arts and older people: A Baring Foundation programme 2010-2014

Making it Together: An evaluative study of Creative Families, an arts and mental health partnership between the South London Gallery and the Parental Mental Health Team

Creative Families is an innovative early-intervention arts programme for parents experiencing mental health difficulties and their children aged under-five in Southwark. This report, made in partnership by the Department of Health & Population at The Institute of Psychiatry, and Goldsmiths, University of London,...

The power of music: A research synthesis of the impact of actively making music on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people

This book considers how neuroscience evidence shows that actively engaging in music making can enhance other musical skills and lead to other beneficial outcomes.

Technically Older: an update on digital arts and creative ageing

Based on interviews with artists and ten new case studies, this updated report revisits work done for the 2012 Baring Foundation publication Digital Arts and Older People and in a continuation of that work, seeks to move forward by examining new opportunities for incorporating digital technology into arts with older...

English National Ballet, Dance for Parkinson’s: An Investigative Study 2 A report on a three-year mixed methods research study

This report by the English National Ballet contains findings after two years of a three year study into their Dance for Parkinson’s programme’s effects on participants.

Social prescribing: A review of community referral schemes

This review aims to set the scene for the conditions under which social prescribing has arisen and consider the efficacy of different referral options. It makes recommendations for practice, policy and future research.

Vital Arts: a service evaluation of a 6-week Vital Dance programme at Mile End Hospital

This evaluation provides an overview of the Vital Dance provision for older adults at Mile End Hospital, detailing the collaboration between Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and Vital Arts, an overview of the dance sessions provided at Mile End Hospital, feedback from staff as well as patient engagemen...

Ageing, Drama and Creativity: a critical review

Ageing, Drama and Creativity is a critical review focused on the cultural value older people derive from their involvement in theatre and drama – ...

La Folia: The Magna Songs Project

Elevate: Using the arts to uplift people in hospital

A guide to setting up an activity group

This guide by Parkinson’s UK gives examples of how to set up an activity group for people with Parkinson’s.

Enriching Britain: Culture, creativity and growth

2015 report by the Warwick Commission, focusing on the future of cultural value.

A review of the social impacts of culture and sport

A systematic review by the DCMS of the current evidence base on the social impacts of sport and culture.

Arts on prescription 2014-15: Evaluation report

An evaluation of the impact of a 12-week visual arts programme for 66 participants in Cambridgeshire delivered by one professional artist & one mental health counsellor, in a safe and therapeutic environment.

Evidence dossier: The value of arts on prescription programmes for the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities

An ‘evidence dossier’ on the value of Arts on Prescription programmes for the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Exploring the longitudinal relationship between arts engagement and health

This review studies the literature to provide an evidence base of 15 studies suggesting arts engagement is beneficial to health over time, leading to recommendations for future analyses.

Music reawakening: Musicianship and access for dementia, the way forward

This report considers how musical interventions can be integrated into a Dementia Care Pathway.

Arts on prescription: Arts-based social prescribing for better mental wellbeing

This report shows the work of partnerships between public health and third sector organisations where arts activities have been prescribed to individuals experiencing mental health challenges.

Arts and vulnerable people: examining the evidence base

A brief report examining the evidence base for the benefits of arts therapies for groups of vulnerable people.

Arts in Health: A review of the literature

A literature review undertaken to review the evidence regarding community-based arts in health initiatives from 2000 – 2014.

Photography and storytelling: Exploring the Experiences of People with Early Stage Dementia

A report on an a student exploratory photography and storytelling study to understand how people with dementia experience being a student at the VUK school in Denmark and to find out about creative activities and services which are being delivered in Denmark to support people with dementia.

Living National Treasure: Arts and older people in Japan

A series of case studies of inspiring arts initiatives for older people in Japan, with an account of the health challenges associated with aging.

The VOICE project 2012-2015: Final Report

This special edition of the European Choral Magazine reports on the VOICE project 2012-2015, a European project for the sustainable development and innovation of choral singing.

Transitions: Evaluation Report January 2015

This report by Collective Encounters evaluates their Transitions project in Liverpool – Transitions aimed to empower homeless people to engage more effectively with statutory and service provision, and to support them to make a smooth transition from street to hostel and hostel to home.

Evaluation of the Arts and Older People Programme. Interim Report

This interim report evaluates the second phase of the Arts and Older People Programme(AOPP 2013-2016)led by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland since 2010.

Playing at Home: How Families Engage with In Harmony Liverpool

This paper evaluates Playing at Home, an exploratory project set up to research the experiences of family members of children who participate in In Harmony, one of Liverpool Philharmonic’s most significant music education programmes.

The Art of Social Prescribing: Informing Policy on Creative Interventions in Mental Health Care

This summary research paper prepared for The Art of Social Prescribing conference in September 2015 presents a summary of key discussion points emerging from the Art of Social Prescribing project.

A new destination for the arts: between a RoCC and a hard place

In this report, GPS Culture summarise their contribution to the national cultural policy debate, and their research into policy and practice in the support of the arts in England. They highlight their three key publications, which fed into the House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Select Committee’s report: ‘...

Older people: independence and mental wellbeing

This NICE guideline covers interventions to maintain and improve the mental wellbeing and independence of people aged 65 or older and how to identify those most at risk of a decline.

Impact of arts education on the cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes of school-aged children: A review of evidence

This literature review, carried out by Durham University, was commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to assess the evidence of impact of arts education on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes of children from pre-school to compulsory school age (ages 3 to 16).

Art Works Evaluation Literature Review

This document combines two literature reviews which were undertaken for the evaluation of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF) special initiative, ArtWorks – it includes their accompanying annotated bibliographies.

Arts at the heart of new public services: Evaluation of a pilot arts commission in Kent using the Six Ways to Wellbeing

“Arts at the heart” is an evaluation report of a project for vulnerable young people in Kent. It was a pilot in which six arts organisations were contracted to help young people learn about the ‘Six Ways to Wellbeing’. The pilot is useful for cultural organisations to learn about tips and pitfalls at the beg...

Cultural Activities, Art Forms and Wellbeing

This Arts Council England report resents findings on the relationships between cultural engagement and momentary wellbeing using experience sampling dataset gathered through the Mappiness phone app.

Reviewing art therapy research: a constructive critique

This review from Sheffield Hallam University considered papers reporting therapeutic arts interventions conducted on ‘patients’ which included some measurement of a health state.

Choir of the Year Competition 2014

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the effects of the Choir of the Year (CotY) 2014 competition on participants’ physical, social and mental wellbeing and health.

A handbook for cultural engagement with older men

Advice on the perennial problem of involving older men which many arts organisations have found challenging.

Evaluating Sistema Scotland – Initial Findings Report. Summary May 2015

This summary report gives an overview of the initial findings from a long-term study of the charity Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise orchestras.

The Social Value of Creative Arts in Supporting Mental Health

This report summarises  findings in identifying the social value ‘Start in Salford’ creates and in developing an approach to valuing impact. This three year evaluation and support programme focused on leaving a social value legacy for Start.

How Creativity Works in the Brain

Specific ideas and themes that emerged from a two-day meeting “The Nature of Creativity in the Brain, cosponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) in 2014.

Evaluation of the Reminiscence Arts and Dementia: Impact on Quality of Life (RADIQL) programme in six care homes

The aim of this evaluation was to provide a full assessment of the effectiveness of the RADIQL programme using HM Treasury Green Book consistent methods. The RADIQL intervention was tested on six care homes in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, and the results compared against six care homes designated as...

The role of allied health professionals in public health – examples of interventions delivered by allied health professionals that improve the publics’ health

Public Health England commissioned a team of academics led by Sheffield Hallam University to undertake an initial review to:

identify examples where there is good evidence of impact on public health by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and therefore an opportunity to broaden practice

identify areas wh...

Social prescribing for mental health: background paper

This report on Social Prescribing by NHS Scotland is based on a rapid review of literature published between 2002 and 2014 and was produced in conjunction with the Self-Management and Social Prescribing National Advisory Group.

In Harmony Liverpool. BASELINE REPORT: The Beacon CE Primary School

This report aims to establish a baseline against which the progress towards the attainment of outcomes and outputs of In Harmony Liverpool within Beacon CE Primary School can be assessed as the programme of work develops – Harmony Liverpool is inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema.

In Harmony Liverpool. BASELINE REPORT: Everton Nursery School and Family Centre

This report aims to establish a baseline against which the progress towards the attainment of outcomes and outputs of In Harmony within Everton Nursery School can be assessed as the programme of work develops – In Harmony Liverpool is inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema.