Culture on referral: sharing our findings
There’s a growing belief that there is an important role for the arts and culture in supporting people’s health and wellbeing.
The Centre for Cultural Value has published its first research digest, exploring the evidence surrounding culture on referral (or arts on prescription) programmes.
Dr Robyn Dowlen from the Centre for Cultural Value presents the findings from this recent review of research into culture on referral, sharing what we can be certain of, where there is emerging evidence and where future research is required to strengthen the evidence base.
Take part in a discussion chaired by Alex Coulter, Director of Arts and Health South West with invited contributors, Gavin Clayton, CEO at Hoot Creative Arts, Christiana Melam, CEO at National Association of Link Workers, Helen Chatterjee, Professor of Biology at UCL, and Emily Bradfield, Director at Arts & Minds, to debate the findings, whilst gaining an insight into the learning and critical reflections around the key themes of the digest.
This event is also part of Beyond Measure, a collaboration between the Leeds Arts Health and Wellbeing Network, Cultural Institute and Centre for Cultural Value. Beyond Measure is a programme of digital engagement exploring research and evidence in culture and health.
Speakers
Emily Bradfield
Emily joined Arts & Minds as Director in October 2019. Emily also works as a freelance arts consultant (with a particular interest in creative evaluation). She holds a PhD in Creative Ageing (University of Derby) and an MSc in Events Management (De Montfort University). She is founder and chair of the British Society of Gerontology’s Creative Ageing Special Interest Group and Area Representative (East Anglia) for the Arts Health Early Career Research Network.
Helen Chatterjee
Professor Helen Chatterjee MBE is a Professor of Biology in UCL Biosciences and UCL Arts & Sciences. Her research includes biodiversity conservation, cultural and natural value, object-based learning, and evidencing the impact of natural and cultural participation on health. She co-founded the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance, is an advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts and Health, Chairs the Royal Society for Public Health’s SIG in Arts and Health, and serves on the IUCN Section on Small Apes. Her interdisciplinary research has won a range of awards including a Special Commendation from Public Health England for Sustainable Development and most recently the 2018 AHRC-Wellcome Health Humanities Medal and Leadership Award. She received an MBE in 2015 for Services to Higher Education and Culture. Helen has written four books including ‘Material Connections: From Object-Based Learning to Object-Based Well-being’ (Taylor Francis, 2020) and over 50 research articles.
Gavin Clayton
Gavin Clayton took over as CEO at Hoot Creative Arts in April 2019 and has a strong belief in the role of arts & culture to challenge social injustice and health inequality. Hoot is an Arts Council NPO and commissioned by Kirklees Council and NHS to deliver adult mental health services across Kirklees and HMPPS to deliver specialist prison based work across the north of England.
Previously he has worked with : Arts & Minds, Cambridge; The Men’s Room, Manchester; Cambridgeshire County Council; MKArts for Health and lectured at University of Florida School of Arts & Medicine; He is one of the founders of England’s ‘Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance’ and initiated the establishment of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health and Wellbeing.He has enjoyed speaking at conferences across the UK, Ireland, Europe and Hong Kong and is an Associate of the Royal Society for Public Health. As a NESTA sponsored Clore Fellow his research explored how the arts contribute to development in Sub-Saharan nations in Africa.
Alexandra Coulter
Alexandra Coulter is Director of Arts & Health South West (AHSW) and Project Manager for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPG). AHSW is a learning, advocacy, networking and development organisation working across the south west region. In June 2021, AHSW is delivering the third Culture, Health and Wellbeing International Conference. Alex project managed the two-year APPG Inquiry which led to the publication of the Creative Health report. She is currently setting up the National Centre for Creative Health, Recommendation 1 in the Creative Health Report.
Christiana Melam
Christiana is the Chief Executive of the National Association of Link Workers, the only UK professional membership network for Social Prescribing Link Workers which increases professionalism, resilience and reduces isolation. She is the architect of the UK Annual Social Prescribing Link Worker Day and an international Social Prescribing Link Worker champion. She is an advocate for diversity, inclusion, coproduction, bottom-up approaches, social justice, empowering people and reducing inequality. She believes great leadership is about ‘lighting fire in people’ not on them. She was recognised by the Mayor of London as one of the women that make London great in March 2019. Christiana was a finalist in the 2019 Social Enterprise UK awards for the ’Women in Social Enterprise category and Birmingham awards for the ‘Businesswoman of the year’ category.