Why

We believe everyone has creative potential and that creativity can lead to healthier lives and communities. Active engagement with the arts and culture, whether through our own creative practice or through our enjoyment of the creative practice of others, is beneficial for the health and wellbeing of us all.

The 2017 Creative Health report documents over 1000 published studies outlining the role of arts and creativity in supporting health across the life course. Subsequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) scoping review: What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing?  collated studies demonstrating the role of the arts and culture in prevention, promotion, management and treatment of ill health and is intended to inform policy across the WHO European Region and beyond.

We are particularly keen to work in the space between the established worlds of arts, culture, health and social care, exploring how co-production and collaboration can provide new ways of thinking about the intersection between our creativity and our health.

Health inequalities are a key priority for the NCCH, reflecting the wider policy environment within which we work. The increasing gap in inequalities was evidenced in Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On, published in 2020. Lack of access to cultural and creative opportunities too often mirrors other inequalities. Working with communities, developing co-production methods with people who use services and developing culturally specific activities and opportunities are key to challenging inequalities in health and in the arts and culture.