Author: Rosemary Golding

The Health and the Arts Research Group was set up in 2021 to bring together researchers from across the university with research interests in the intersections between the arts – in all forms – and health and wellbeing. Our interests cover a wide spectrum, from the historical and contemporary uses of the arts to treat and understand sickness, to creative uses of art, music and writing as research methods in health and wellbeing.

Since our formation we have held online and face-to-face events to share our work, as well as a workshop on Impact (November 2022).

One of the highlights of the group’s work has been seeing shared concerns in research across historical and contemporary interests. For example, we have a number of scholars working on text-based studies, such as the portrayal of ageing and mid-life in novels, the use of fanzines for mental wellbeing, and poetry and life writing projects involving people with learning disabilities. We have heard about the ways in which visual culture has been used to convey and manipulate ideas around sickness and health in the nineteenth century, providing parallels with more recent studies of visual and artistic portrayals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Several scholars have interests in the history of music for health and wellbeing, from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, which chimes with research on the use of modern music technologies mental and physical health.

Because we draw academics from across the university and beyond, we are always able to offer a new perspective on research projects, as well as our own experiences in the arts, funding, impact, dissemination and public engagement.

We also extend beyond arts and health to include projects drawing in the environment, migration, gender, education, society and politics.

For more information on our members and activities, please see our web pages. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to join us, whether current or former staff and students at the Open University.