Brain waves: Accessing creative cultural activity for people living with brain injury through and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
Aims
The COVID-19 crisis has led to a radical shift in the way in which people access culture, mirrored by the way relevant organisations make cultural activities happen. For people with brain injury, these challenges are more acute given their greater isolation and loneliness. Research (Headway) shows that, even before COVID, more than 70% of brain injury survivors experience a deterioration in their social life. We also know that 80% of the UK’s 1.1m stroke survivors live at home and within 6 months of discharge less than 50% participate in meaningful activities and 25% no longer leave their homes.
We will investigate the COVID-19 specific challenges faced by people living with brain injury and build on the work of the arts/health organisation, Rosetta Life and its Stroke Odysseys project. We will assess what impact social isolation has on access to cultural activity for these people living with brain injury, and help relevant organisations across the UK adapt their programming
Methods
We plan to:
- Undertake participatory action research- establishing a performance arts care and living laboratory initiative with people living with brain injury, artists, healthcare practitioners.
- Co-design new resources and approaches to engagement activities from the living lab initiative for online availability.
- Map the motivations, expectations, experience and outcomes of the community of people living with brain injury.
- Film and share the process online, disseminate the results including a significant conference event.
Importantly, we will put the voice of people living with brain injury at the heart of our work.
Effective start/end date: 14/12/2020 - 13/06/2022
Publications
Our ambassadors have created 2 films highlighting the experiences of living with brain injury during the pandemic.
Forget me nots - https://vimeo.com/540242150
Spirals - https://vimeo.com/636632346
Media coverage
A blog by researcher Elizabeth Taylor published on the blog site Inspire the Mind
Brain Waves: The online arts movement helping brain injury survivors to tell their stories through music
Effective start/end date: 14/12/2020 - 13/06/2022
Publications
Our ambassadors have created 2 films highlighting the experiences of living with brain injury during the pandemic.
Forget me nots - https://vimeo.com/540242150
Spirals - https://vimeo.com/636632346
Media coverage
A blog by researcher Elizabeth Taylor published on the blog site Inspire the Mind
Brain Waves: The online arts movement helping brain injury survivors to tell their stories through music

Principal Investigators
Carmine Pariante
Professor of Biological Psychiatry
Lucinda Jarrett
Creative Director of Rosetta Life
Fiona Jones
Professor of Rehabilitation Research at St George's University of London and Kingston University
Investigators
Joseph Fort
College Organist & Director of the Chapel Choir, and Lecturer in Music
Tony Woods
SHAPER Programme Manager
Carolina Estevao
Postdoctoral Research Associate & Clinical Project Manager
Nikki Crane
Progamme Lead – Arts, Health & Wellbeing
Daisy Fancourt
Associate Professor, Behavioural Science and Health at UCL
Funding
Funding Body: Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Amount: £330,000
Period: December 2020 - June 2022