Arts, health & wellbeing
The symbiosis between arts and health lies deep within King’s DNA. The university appointed the first ever Chair of Medicine and the Arts in 2001, working alongside a number of academics, in all faculties, exploring this area. Over recent years, the university has trialled new approaches to generating innovative research and delivering distinctive education through partnerships across arts and culture. Science Gallery London, which opened in 2018, provides a flagship venue for these activities, connecting art, science and health to help drive innovation at the heart of this world-leading healthcare and research institution.
Building on this, and in the context of a growing awareness of the contribution of arts and culture to health and wellbeing, King’s now has a major opportunity to develop a role as a global leader in the field of arts, health and wellbeing. There is an emerging national commitment to significant investment in the field, with many important initiatives set to accelerate over the next year. The growing evidence base for this is documented in the landmark work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health & Wellbeing inquiry, which culminated in the report, Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing (2017).
As the research partner for Creative Health, King’s is ideally placed to build on this national movement, drawing together its world-leading resources with its strong partnerships across culture and across higher education to tackle inequalities, support recovery and enable longer lives lived through better health and wellbeing. King’s plans to seize this moment: to develop a strong vision for arts, health and wellbeing, to bring together the community of staff and students with an interest in this area and to launch new initiatives over the coming year.
These pages showcase a range of recent and ongoing arts, health and wellbeing activity. If you want to find out more, sign up to a newsletter to learn about new opportunities or email artshealthwellbeing@kcl.ac.uk.