UK Timeline 2018

The Lung Cycle – a day of creative investigation into singing for breathing

Opera Singer James Platt, creative writer Rob Young and visual artist Paul Gent were brought together by Phoene Cave (singing for lung health trainer) and Adam Lewis (COPD research physio) to explore what it means to live with breathlessness with patients from Royal Brompton Hospital. One of the outputs was this new...

Strength in Networks

A comparative analysis of six creative interventions designed for people diagnosed with dementia across England and Wales – part of Dementia Connect funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Art Thou Well? Towards creative devolution of mental health in Greater Manchester

This report, written in the context of the Devolution deal of 2014, explores the myriad roles the arts could, and do, play in the service of mental health in Greater Manchester (GM). This report comprises a comparative study of practices in Finland and the USA, using a psychological perspective. Practical examples a...

What would life be – without a song or dance, what are we?

This report examines the existing landscape and future potential of using therapeutic music with people with dementia, has been guided and informed by the Commission on Dementia and Music, made up of experts in the field.

It aims to inform the reader of the existing dementia and music landscape, outline the p...

Not So Grim Up North

Not So Grim Up North (2015-2018) was a research project collaboration to investigate the health and wellbeing impact of museum and gallery activities for three audience groups: people living with dementia, stroke survivors and mental health service-users (including addiction recovery...

Culture Cures: Research Evaluation Report

Community run programmes and activities to make the arts more accessible to less advantaged groups to encourage more active and healthy lifestyles.

Sing Me In Handbook 4: Repertoire Guide

This Repertoire Guide is to accompany the series of collective singing handbooks produced by the Sing Me In project, published by the European Choral Association- Europa Cantat.

Social Prescribing in Secondary Care: How to Guide

Commissioned by Healthy London Partnership, this Social Prescribing in Secondary Care How to Guide is aimed at NHS commissioners and Senior Managers, as well as those directly in charge of implementation and delivery of the service from both the NHS and voluntary providers.

Visual art and mental health: A systematic review of the subjective wellbeing outcomes of engaging with visual arts for adults (“working-age”, 15-64 years) with diagnosed mental health conditions

This systematic review by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing addressesthe primary question: What are the subjective wellbeing outcomes of engaging with (taking part in, performing, viewing) visual arts for ‘working-age’ adults (15-64 years) with diagnosed mental health conditions?

Mental wellbeing, reading and writing: How children and young people’s mental wellbeing is related to their reading and writing experiences

Study by the National Literacy Trust in 2017-18, surveying the mental wellbeing of children and young people in the UK, exploring whether there is a link between their mental wellbeing and specific components of literacy, such as: reading and writing enjoyment; reading and writing behaviours; pupils’ self-percepti...

Dance for Health, Well-being and Empowerment of Young People: Findings from a longitudinal study with youth from deprived urban areas

This report presents findings from a two-year research project investigating the impact of participation in an innovative youth dance company programme on the health, well-being and sense of empowerment of young people and their families who live in deprived communities in Leeds.

Anatomy of a Choir: an ethnographic study of the Choir with No Name

This study of a choir whose members are affected by homelessness was written as the final project for the year 2017/18 at Trinity Laban and Open University (Certificate in the Practice of Music Making).

Creative Leadership and Forum Theatre: An evaluation for Odd Arts

This report is an evaluation of four in-depth case studies, where the delivery of a short theatre-based workshop module was observed in specialist settings relating to care, education and prison. Key outcomes included raised self-esteem; increased self-awareness and self-expression; empowerment; teamwork and leaders...

Young People and Arts Engagement: What We Need

Arts Council England commissioned ART31 to investigate potential barriers which may hinder young people from participating in and accessing the arts. This report presents data gathered from 659 young people who took part in an online survey and also from those who attended workshops – positive reasons for part...

Pioneering an Arts Based Learning Programme at Guy ’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 2014-2017. Summary Evaluation report

This project was a collaboration between Performing Medicine and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Performing Medicine is performance company Clod Ensemble’s professional development initiative for health professionals and medical students.The report describes the results of the evaluation of the proj...

Evaluation of BreathStars

This report evaluates BreathStars, a weekly singing group which was established for children with asthma aged 7-12 years old living in Little Hulton and North Walkden (Salford). This initiative was funded by Salford Clinical Commissioning Group as part of its Little Pot of Innovation Fund 2017 and Awards for All (Bi...

Barlows’ Cunning Little Vixen. An Evaluation of The European Opera Centre’s First Educational Project

This evaluation explores the experiences of those involved in the European Opera Centre’s new educational programme launched at Barlows Primary School in North Liverpool in 2017.

City of London Sinfonia: 30 Years of Transforming Lives Through Music

City of London Sinfonia (CLS) celebrates 30 years of transforming lives through music in its reputable participation programme.

Everyday Creativity in Later Life: art, technology & community

Report on an action research project, ‘Do, Think, Share’ – a collaboration between 64 Million Artists and Leicester Ageing Together, to examine the implications of the project for understanding the roles of creativity and digital technology in later life.

Short report: How creativity and culture has been supporting people who are shielding or vulnerable during Covid-19.

A short report by the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance on how creativity and culture has been supporting people who are shielding or vulnerable during Covid-19, based on case studies of 48 projects, received from 45 organisations.

ALMO Final Evaluation Report

A Life More Ordinary (ALMO) was designed to bring together thinking around the arts, memory loss and dementia friendly communities in a way that would give people living with dementia and their family members more choice, control and greater access to leisure and cultural opportunities at The Dukes Theatre in Lancas...

What would be the slowest thing?

This is a “Provocation Paper” written for the Clore Leadership Programme Fellowship 2016/17. The paper introduces the ideas of “slow” to recruitment, participation, partnership and leadership with suggestions for practical implementation, and examines these ideas within the sector of arts and culture. It adv...

Music and Motherhood: The Impact of Creative Interventions on the Symptoms of Postnatal Depression

This is a summary document of a research project, led by the Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, which explored how creative engagement can support the wellbeing of new mothers. This one-sheet summary gives an overview, with the help of infographics, of the project’s background, how the researc...

Reading Well: Evaluation of Year 5 – 2017-18

This evaluation presents findings from the fifth year of the Reading Well Books on Prescription programme. It seeks to establish the ongoing impact of the programme, as well as how it can best be developed to achieve greater impact in the future.

Arts and Health in Wales: A Mapping study of current activity

An Arts Council of Wales study, mapping the range of current Arts and Health activity in Wales to inform a proposed  Arts and Health Action Plan by Arts Council Wales and the Welsh NHS Confederation for 2018 – 2021.

The report covers the policy context, types of activity, the key players, practice and ...

The social impact of participation in culture

A contribution to the DCMS inquiry into the social impact of participation in culture, this independent report draws on evidence from a small range of key reports to identify seven key issues.

The state of play: Arts and Older People programme

Summary of findings about the impact of the Arts Council Northern Ireland (ACNI) Arts and Older People Programme, jointly funded by ACNI, the Baring Foundation and the Public Health Agency.

Healthcare and the Arts: GP Survey Headlines

In 2018, Aesop commissioned ComRes to conduct research among UK GP’s in order to better understand their perceptions of arts-based interventions and how these perceptions might change over time – this is the first of two reports provides the headline findings from 2018 and 2019.

Cultural Transformations: The impact of Hull UK City of Culture 2017 – Preliminary outcomes evaluation

This report sets out the preliminary outcomes evaluation of the Hull UK City of Culture 2017 project. Through analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, it provides an initial understanding of the outcomes achieved across the following five impact areas: Arts and Culture; Place Making; Economy; Society and Wellb...

Creative and Cultural Activities and Wellbeing in Later Life

A new report from Age UK outlines the importance for us all of participating in creative and cultural activities to maintain our wellbeing and feel good as we get older, building on Age UK’s Index of Wellbeing in Later Life, which found that taking part in ‘creative activities’ such as the arts is closely lin...

Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery

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).

Homemade Circus Handbook

This booklet by Upswing has been created to enable and inspire care homes and day care centres to try out some simple circus games and exercises, all drawn from Homemade Circus. The exercises are designed to be carried out by staff even if they have no previous circus training.

Each breath is valuable: an evaluation of an arts in care homes programme

The Arts in Care Homes programme was a joint funding initiative by the Baring Foundation with the Arts Council England (2013-2016) to explore models of professional arts practice with and for older people in care homes over three years.

Arts for Health: Exploring best practice for children’s hospitals

The overarching purpose of the project was to explore, with a range of practitioners in Australia and New Zealand,(architects and designers, artists, commissioners and health care practitioners) how decisions are made about the design of children’s hospital environments.

A Culture Strategy for Scotland – draft for consultation

This public consultation document seeks views on a draft Culture Strategy for Scotland which has been developed following engagement with people across Scotland during 2017 – the draft Culture  sets out a vision underpinned by a series of ambitions, aims and suggested actions for public consultation – t...

The Social Impact of Participation in Culture and Sport. Nesta submission to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Inquiry

In 2018, the House of Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMSC) launched an inquiry into how taking part in the arts, culture and sport can have a positive impact on health, community and education outcomes.  This is Nesta’s submission, responding to the questions set by the committee.

Arts in care homes: a rapid mapping of training provision

This report provides a snapshot of the diverse creative ageing training provision available to artists and care staff in the UK as surveyed in July 2017.

Promoting children’s wellbeing, right to make choices and engage in playful activities in restricted environments through music and singing

Report on a Singing Medicine Project in a children’s hospital in England using qualitative methods of interview and observation.

Active Ingredients: the Aesop planning and evaluation model for Arts with a Social Purpose

The Active Ingredients project has been developed jointly by Aesop and BOP Consulting. It aims to deepen our understanding of the ways in which arts interventions in health and social contexts actually work – and to improve the ways these are designed and their impacts measured.

Consultation response: The Culture Strategy for Scotland

Voluntary Health Scotland’s consultation response to the draft Cultural Strategy for Scotland 2018, focusing on the relationship between culture and health.

A connected society: A Strategy for loneliness – laying the foundations for change

This strategy is the government’s first major contribution to a national conversation on loneliness and the importance of social connections. It sets out government’s long-term ambitions to work with others to build a more cohesive and connected society. Alongside this, it includes a number of initial commitment...

Live Music in Care: The impact of music interventions for people living and working in care home settings

An evaluation of live music in care home settings which addresses the central question: “Can 11 weekly music sessions, provided for staff and residents in care homes, support the care home environment to be a place where residents and staff are happy to live and work?”

Arts and culture in health and wellbeing and in the criminal justice system: A summary of evidence

This report from Arts Council England provides a summary of the evidence around the place of arts and culture in health and wellbeing and in the criminal justice system, highlighting key themes to inform their future strategic priorities for 2020-30.