Creative Health:
The Arts for Health and Wellbeing

The Inquiry Report, Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing - Second Edition, presents the findings of two years of research, evidence-gathering and discussions with patients, health and social care professionals, artists and arts administrators, academics, people in local government, ministers, other policy-makers and parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament.

The Short Report presents a summary in 16 pages. It includes the Key Messages, Recommendations and Next Steps from the full report. A number of service users and expert patients contributed to the Inquiry, many of whom returned to take part in a focus group attended by the artist, David Shrigley. David’s drawings illustrate the Short Report and this webpage.

As part of the Inquiry process, more than 300 people from all parts of the country took part in round tables and meetings in the Houses of Parliament. We would particularly like to acknowledge those who have been so generous in telling us of their own personal experiences of how the arts have benefited their health and wellbeing. Five service users and expert patients were recorded in conversation with Baroness Young of Hornsey to create these podcasts.

Four service users and expert patients were filmed in conversation with Lord Howarth of Newport to create these videos.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing has developed policy briefings in collaboration with the Association of Directors of Public Health, Local Government Association, National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Social Care Institute for Excellence and What Works Centre for Wellbeing.