Four lessons from creative health strategies across the UK

As creative health gains national momentum, the challenge is no longer whether it matters, but how it becomes embedded within local systems, services, and policy.

As more local authorities, health systems, cultural organisations, and community partners begin to develop strategies to build on creative health programmes and initiatives in their region, there is a valuable opportunity to learn from successful examples and also from the gaps and challenges that limit progress.

The ReCITE project has conducted a scoping review of 69 strategies, briefings, evaluations, and recommendations for implementing creative health in the UK. In this blog, ReCITE researcher Dawn Holford reflects on what we can learn from this review to drive and embed creative health innovation, ensure community-led delivery, connect the critical sectors involved, and realise the full potential of creative health. 

The ReCITE project is led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and is part of the Mobilising Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities (MCA) programme funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). You can read the blog here.

The ReCITE team will be presenting this work at a webinar on 23rd September 2026. Register here.