Culture, arts, and wellbeing
In this chapter the indivisibility of culture and the arts from health and wellbeing is explored through a variety of modalities; the power of the humanities to help us understand and explain the meaning of the challenges that affect us on life’s journey are explained; and the use of public spaces to engage with the public to promote health and wellbeing is described. Examples include: - The extensive use of the total environment of an international garden festival as a ‘health field’ for health promotion; - The value of cultural activity as a means for building peace and trust in the context of the post Northern Ireland Troubles; - An extended partnership and collaboration with the Liverpool artist and poet Adrian Henri, including an extensive programme of events to celebrate 150 years of public health in Liverpool; - The use of culture and the arts to restore public trust after serious clinical service failure; - The role of cultural facilities in providing support for dementia sufferers and their careers; and - The importance of ‘storytelling’ as a tool for public engagement and understanding of health and wellbeing.