Arts, Society and Public Health: An Exploration of the Major UK Cohort Studies (360G-Wellcome-205407_Z_16_Z)

This fellowship will explore the impact of arts and cultural engagement on health and wellbeing at a population level, using the outstanding longitudinal cohort data that have been collected in the UK. Research will examine the effects of (i) cultural engagement (e.g. attending concerts/museums/galleries/cinemas/theatre); (ii) active arts participation (e.g. music/dance/crafts/drama); (iii) passive arts consumption (e.g. music listening/watching TV/reading) on: - Diagnosed mental health conditions, self- reported mental health and wellbeing - Diagnosed physical health conditions, self-reported health and somatic symptoms (such as pain) - Physiological measures (e.g. stress hormones/inflammation/lung function/cardiovascular measures) - Cognitive measures (e.g. memory/mood/reasoning) - Psychosocial measures (e.g. self-esteem/social support/quality of life/life satisfaction) A key focus will be on how different populations within society, including people of varying ages, socioeconomic status, ethnicities and education attainment, might be differently affected. In order to maximise the impact of this research on society, there will be a four-pronged engagement programme, including: - Peer-reviewed papers and conference presentations aimed at academics - Presentations at industry conferences for cultural organisations to explain the implications of findings for practice - Reports and meetings with stakeholders in public health, politics and commissioning to explore the implications for policy - A suite of activities to raise awareness amongst the public of the effects of arts engagement.