Boosting European health and wellbeing through culture and the arts
Our four-part series explores the ways in which the cultural sector can contribute to Europe’s post-pandemic societies through the immense creativity and imagination it has to offer. Part two focuses on culture and health.
Our recent fundraising efforts for FOG and seeing each other, a project that tackles the issue of addiction, got us thinking about the role of arts and culture in healthcare. This is no coincidence. As European countries continue to feel the aftershocks of the first wave of coronavirus infections, thinking about the intersection of the cultural and creative sector (CCS) and health is becoming increasingly relevant for CCS professionals.
At the same time, there is a growing need for the health sector to take advantage of the many ways in which the CCS can promote and sustain wellbeing.
To elaborate on what we mean by the role of the CCS in health and healthcare, we discuss some key cultural activities that contribute to keeping people in good health, helping them recover, and even supporting them in the long-term when dealing with chronic health-related issues.
“The health sector must take advantage of the many ways in which the CCS can promote and sustain wellbeing.”
Preventing ill health
They say prevention is better than cure, and governments are increasingly looking to nurture cultural initiatives that help people stay fit and healthy. Other than improving overall levels of wellbeing among the population, prevention via creative activities also benefits national healthcare budgets down the road.
We love hearing about creative wellbeing-boosting projects, whether they’re targeting the young—like the free hobby initiative by the Finnish government—or the elderly, like Dance to Health, which encourages over-55s to take up dancing as a way to express creativity while also maintaining flexibility and balance. Initiatives like these prove that culture has applications and benefits beyond its purely artistic contribution to society.
Supporting recovery
Meanwhile, evidence is mounting around the therapeutic effect of arts and culture, too. Music therapy is a low-cost and often effective means of complementing medical treatment for a range of serious conditions. Research has confirmed that music can even help reduce the pain experienced by cancer patients.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the arts can also make healthcare professionals better at taking care of their patients. Another piece of recent research has shown looking at artworks can help future doctors hone their observation skills, maintain objectivity, and cope with moments of uncertainty.
We already mentioned FOG, an interactive theatre project looking to change the conversation around addiction. Projects like this can really help those who have experienced addiction by making them feel seen and understood by others, and so addressing a crucial aspect of their return to wellbeing and participation in society.
Helping patients cope in the long-term
Arts and culture can be a lifeline to the older generation living with chronic conditions. The organisers behind Music for Dementia 2020 argue that “music for people living with dementia isn’t a nicety, it’s a necessity… [it] helps create communities, offering inclusive, meaningful social experiences”. These experiences, in turn, help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation—a huge social issue that affects the young and the old alike, and has been particularly heightened during the pandemic—, while also easing the symptoms of depression that can accompany degenerative conditions like dementia.
“Music therapy is a low-cost and often effective means of complementing medical treatment for a range of serious conditions.”
Theatre can offer a good deal of comfort and a sense of connection. Like many other performing arts companies, UK-based Vamos puts on shows at theatres and arts centres. But it’s especially known for creating and staging participatory shows in care homes and hospitals, reaching and engaging elderly and vulnerable populations who struggle to get out and about.
The list of collaborative arts interventions to help cope with illness is literally endless. One more example to highlight is the Dutch Verhalenhuis (The Story House), a project that brings together young writers and care home residents who want to share stories from their past. The arrangement is not only mutually beneficial to both parties, it’s also an excellent example of cross-generational artistic collaboration that we need to see more of.
Can Europe bring the CCS and the healthcare sector closer together?
European institutions have already begun exploring the potential of the CCS in boosting citizens’ wellbeing and empowering the healthcare sector. The recently launched ARTIS project, for example, features a consortium of nine universities (including Oxford University) researching innovative ways to assess the impact of the arts on individuals and society.
Meanwhile, the European Art & Well-being project deploys a more hands-on approach. The initiative aims to support arts and cultural organisations that tackle the detrimental effect that modern city life has on our physical, emotional and mental health. The way it does this is by helping organisations extend their projects to reach new audiences and share best practices. The cultural organisations are facilitated in developing new and innovative pilot interventions that contribute to individual and community wellbeing.
In 2019, WHO lent its voice to the cause, recommending an increase of support to arts and cultural organisations engaging in health and wellbeing as part of their mission; a recommendation we feel European institutions should drive forward, especially in the final round of MFF talks that are coming up.
The CCS has an amazing amount of potential to help Europeans maintain or improve their health. Finding the right ways to integrate culture and arts into healthcare is therefore an essential next step in upcoming European calls for cultural and creative projects.
If you’re a CCS professional and you want to get a head start, keep in mind that evidence of your initiative’s effectiveness must be well-documented. You can start by checking out these guidelines on how to keep track of and evaluate arts projects and programmes that seek to improve health and wellbeing.
Arne van Vliet is the Creative Director of TrueMotion. He’s passionate about the creative arts and specialises in finding funding for innovative creative projects that are reshaping the arts landscape in Europe.