If you’re interested in the difference the arts can make to health and wellbeing there are some key resources and networks we’d recommend. Take a look at our ‘essentials’ guide for some quick links to best practice, research and more.

This guide isn’t exhaustive and will not be regularly updated; you’ll see many of the organisations linked to below already provide a thorough, current bank of information and our intention here is to make sure everyone has access to the key players. However if you spot a major omission or error please let us know!

National & Regional Networks

Oxfordshire Arts Partnership’s Arts & Health Network
Free networking group for all interested parties in or around the county. Please contact the Oxfordshire council arts officers to join
Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance

National Alliance for Arts, Health & Wellbeing

Arts & Health South West

Oxford Academic Health Science Network https://www.oxfordahsn.org/
OAHS Get Physical programme https://getphysical.org.uk/latest-events/

Oxford Mental Health Network

Arts & Health Research & Information Banks

Creative Health - report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health & Wellbeing

Full report

New Economics Foundation:
‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’, five key, evidence-backed ideas for supporting and improving mental wellbeing.

Health as a Social Movement

AMA CultureHive research and reporting on arts and health projects including the work of AESOP:

What Works Centre for Wellbeing - Sports & Culture section

Arts and Health blog from Manchester Metropolitan University

Arts & Health Early Career Researchers Network

AESOP Arts Enterprise with a Social Purpose (national organisation based in Witney)

Evaluation of AESOP’s Dance to Health programme

What can culture do for healthcare? ACE Blog by Darren Henley

Evaluation of the Dance to Health Falls Prevention Programme

Royal Society for Public Health’s Creative Projects

Creative & Credible - how to evaluate arts and health projects

Oxon Key Health Information & Opportunities

You can see upcoming meetings and minutes from Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group on their website

Opportunities to participate in clinical trials with Oxford University Hospitals

Institute for Health Research (NHS)

Oxford University’s Seed programme for public engagement with research - some interesting local studies and results here.

Tendering opportunities for Publica (inc. West Oxon District Council)

Tendering opportunities for Cherwell District Council

Oxfordshire Health Inequalities report 2016

Bicester Healthy New Town

Oxfordshire Training Network (training for NHS staff)

Thames Valley Strategic Clinical Network (NHS)

Cultural Commissioning Essentials from NCVO

The Arts, Wellbeing and Older People

Feature/focus article with Helen Fountain about Age UK’s upcoming meetings, plus relevant links:

Age UK’s Age of Creativity

Baring Foundation’s reports on their work with older people

Creative Dementia Arts Network

Dementia & Imagination: Research-informed approached to visual arts programmes

A controlled evaluation of the health benefits of participative community singing programme for older people