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Arts & Culture
Evidence & Policy
See evidence & policy for other inclusive practices and domains
This article is taken from 'Art for Mental Health's Sake', published in Mental Health Today, (July to August 2007).
It outlines that participation in arts activities has clear benefits for mental health and well-being.
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Published in association with the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, this half-yearly publication is available to purchase from the Informaworld website.
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Report of a seminar on the current contribution and future potential for the arts and social inclusion within Edinburgh.
The Arts & Social Inclusion Project was set up as a three year programme based at the Capital City Partnership. The Project was a response to the ‘Arts For One City’ strategy, with the aim of promoting, where practicable, recommendations made within that document.
This seminar, held in the newly opened North Edinburgh Arts Centre on the 20th November 2002, endeavoured to start a sectoral debate about the current situation and future potential for arts and social inclusion within Edinburgh.
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Arts, creativity and mental health initiative
This report, written by Cathy Wilson, Consultant to the Mental Health Foundation and Isabella Goldie, Head of Scotland for the Mental Health Foundation, is based on the findings of four arts therapies trial services that took place in Scotland during 2003-2005.
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Written by Helen Gould of Creative Exchange in 2003, this is a report on the outcomes of round table meetings with practitioners in the English regions.
During 2003-2004 Creative Exchange received funding from the Regional Arts Lottery Programme for organisational development. As part of this initiative it aimed to organise events in England to raise the profile of its work and role. However, it became clear that these events could have dual benefit: as an opportunity to sound out practitioners on current issues in Arts and Social Inclusion, as well as promoting Creative Exchange’s activities and philosophy.
A series of ‘round table’ participatory discussion events was planned in partnership with Arts Council England regional offices between May and September 2003.
As a result of ACE structural changes in April 2003, organising these events was both a challenge and opportunity. Many social inclusion officers and development teams were new to post, but meeting practitioners was viewed as a useful opportunity to inform the arts council’s regional and national approach to arts and social inclusion. This report summarises the key issues emerging from those events.
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This paper, by DevelopARTS' Julie Brooker, explores how the process of finding, relating to and using found objects in art therapy can bridge the psychological barriers to engagement with the outer world of the client.
This is shown through an individual case study within adult mental health which identifies how using found objects facilitated the therapeutic process and enabled thoughts, feelings and memories to be connected to, recognised and processed in a way that I suggest would not have been reached through providing traditional art therapy materials.
The found objects helped improve emotional and mental wellbeing, enhanced self expression and self esteem. In addition the found objects offered a cognitive process in thinking outside of self and helped with issues such as isolation, motivation, physical exercise and social inclusion.
Visit the informaworld website to purchase paper (US$30.00):
Working with Mental Health
Presentation by the South East Museum, Library and Archive Council (SEMLAC) about the role they have to play in promoting better awareness and understanding of mental health issues.
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A report to the Scottish Arts Council
From 1992, this summary is based on a report evaluating the Scottish Arts Council's (SAC) National Lottery Arts and Social Inclusion Scheme.
The Arts and Social Inclusion funding programme distributes lottery funds to arts projects in Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) in Scotland. The evaluation provides an analysis of the scheme on several fronts:
- its effectiveness as a national funding scheme in promoting the arts, levering additional funding and providing ‘value for money'
- its success in reaching SIPs and encouraging them to use the arts as a means of tackling exclusion, and
- the impact of SIP arts projects on the participants and the wider community.
This introduction provides a background for the rest of the report by outlining the policy context that led SAC to operate such a funding scheme and also considers how the scheme might contribute to social inclusion and social justice.
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Transcript of a speech made by The Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Health, at the conference entitled "Open to All: 'Mental Health, Social Inclusion and Museums and Galleries' which was held at The Wallace Gallary, London, on 16th September 2008.
The Minister speaks about the positive effects that participation in the arts can have on mental well-being and refers to recent research and case studies.
Visit webpage to view full speech:
Arts, Creativity and Mental Health Initiative
This report from the Mental Health Foundation is based on the findings from a small but significant practice led research and service improvement project, which supported six participatory arts organisations to pilot a self evaluation approach, over a 6 month period, during 2006/07.
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Developing the evidence base
In 2005, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health through NSIP jointly commissioned research on the benefits and outcomes of participation in arts projects for people with mental health problems. The results are both interesting and positive.
The study was conducted by a team from Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Central Lancashire.
Details of the study can be found by following the first link.
The second link is a report of the conference launching the Arts and Mental Health report which was attended by Jan Lovett of Credo (Bromley) on behalf of Develop.
Resources:
For the London Borough of Bromley
The Arts Strategy is a five-year document running from 2008 to 2012 and sets out the local authority's priorities for the development and delivery of arts services.
The strategy provides a framework that enables the local authority and its partners to plan, prioritise and maximise opportunities for participation in arts activities.
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