Creativity belongs at the heart of healthy lives, resilient communities and compassionate care.

The National Centre for Creative Health defines creative health as

“creative approaches and activities which have benefits for our health and wellbeing.”

Key features include:

• Research indicates that participation in the arts can improve cognitive function, foster resilience, and sometimes reduce the need for medication.
• Creative Health uses the transformative power of the arts — including music, visual art, dance, drama, literature, and craft — to support and enhance health and well-being.
• Arts in Health programmes are shown to reduce stress, boost mood, aid recovery, and nurture social connection.
• Initiatives can include art therapy sessions, live music performances, or creative workshops designed for individuals facing illness, mental health challenges, or social isolation.
• Social Prescribing involves healthcare professionals recommending creative or cultural activities in the community to promote health and wellbeing.
• By encouraging compassion and inclusion, creative health complements traditional healthcare, providing a holistic approach to well-being.

The evidence for creative health

Numerous studies and reviews have demonstrated the health benefits of creative engagement.

Highlighted in reports from the National Centre of Creative Health, they cover a number of different aspects of health:

• Mental health: Artistic activities can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. They enhance mood, build coping skills, and foster a sense of meaning and purpose.
• Physical health: Creative participation is linked to lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and better pain management. For people with chronic illnesses, engaging in the arts can improve quality of life and sometimes influence clinical outcomes.
• Cognitive health: Creative tasks stimulate the brain, support memory, and enhance neuroplasticity. They can slow cognitive decline and are beneficial for people living with dementia.
• Social health: Group-based artistic activities strengthen social bonds, reduce loneliness, and build resilient communities. They offer opportunities for intergenerational connection, civic participation, and collective action.

For further evidence see below:

From a policy perspective, DCMS’s Evidence summary for policy: The role of arts in improving health and wellbeing (2020) brings together literature on the role of arts in improving health and wellbeing.

The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance website has more on the connections between culture and health – and an excellent set of resources for further exploration.

The National Centre for Creative Health discusses in-depth the What, Why and How of creative health – and its resources cover topics such as supporting staff wellbeing and NHS commissioning.

Creative toolkits benefit healthcare workers

• Creativity (music, painting, writing, or dance) serves as a powerful self-care tool for healthcare professionals helping to process the daily stresses and challenges of the work.
• Using creativity as part of self-care helps to boost resilience, protect emotional health, and enhance ability to care for others.
• Creative activities introduce mindfulness and relaxation, through absorption in present moment ‘flow’ state, supporting mental well-being and reducing burnout.
• Shared creative experiences can strengthen team bonds, fostering camaraderie and mutual support among colleagues.

Creativity supports patient care

Creative expression can be a powerful tool for healing, personal growth, and resilience.

• Improved Quality of Life: Patients frequently report greater enjoyment, meaning, and satisfaction in life when engaging with creative therapies, even in the presence of chronic illness.
• Emotional Expression and Processing: Experiences such as music, painting, or drama help ease anxiety and reduce pain, providing patients with meaning and even hope.
• Stress Reduction: Creative activities have been shown to lower physiological stress markers, such as cortisol levels. Participating in music or visual arts can induce relaxation, reduce anxiety, and create moments of calm, which are particularly valuable in clinical environments. They can help manage symptoms, and contribute to a positive mood and faster recovery.
• Building resilience and a sense of agency.
• Cultivating empathy and connection: Allowing patients feel seen, heard, understood and supported throughout their care.

Find out more about Creative Health Training
To discuss your requirements, please email Phoene