Arts & Health and Wellbeing

Arts and humanities research during the COVID-19 pandemic has addressed issues of direct relevance for the support of individual, social and community health, mental health and wellbeing. 

Findings show that during the pandemic, the social care sector and the NHS have been able to access, benefit and learn from community assets and resources, including those offered through arts and cultural organisations and charities, and those existing within the natural and built environment. 

Arts-based support provided through digital or hybrid activities (including social prescribing) has led to increased feelings of connection for some, despite social and physical isolation. Adaptation and continued provision of support has resulted in processes of recovery and renewal being successfully supported for people using health and social care services, including the most clinically vulnerable and disadvantaged. The move to digital has, however, exposed multiple barriers to digital engagement and demonstrated a need for targeted skills development for those delivering and accessing services. 

Arts and cultural activity has facilitated community-building in a variety of spaces and places across the country during the pandemic. An increased understanding of the processes enabling this, including  the role that cross-sectoral partnerships and collaborations play, can now feed into the development of local and place-based solutions to address increasing regional inequalities in health and wellbeing.