The role of the arts in improving health and well-being is well documented. A report from the World Health Organization that had looked at 3,500 global studies noted that the arts:

• Had potential to contribute to the core determinants of health
• Could help to prevent the onset of mental illness and age-related physical decline
• Could support the treatment and management of mental illness, noncommunicable diseases and neurological disorders
• Can assist in helping patients in the acute setting and end-of-life care.

At Oxford Health arts projects are delivered by the Oxford Health Arts Partnership. It facilitates creativity sessions throughout the year which engage patients, carers and staff to express themselves through the arts. 

Here is some feedback from projects delivered by Oxford Health Arts Partnership:

“I do physiotherapy but it’s not so interesting – music and exercise makes you feel GOOD!” Patient feedback

“You can see that they forget their pain, they are taking fewer painkillers and that is good – they are feeling less pain because they are less anxious and more engaged.” Occupational Therapy Ward Staff.

“It was particularly lovely to see a male patient who wasn’t doing any movement during my first visit, and whose daughter told me he doesn’t dance, now joining the group sessions and really going for it and even suggesting dance moves for us all to do!” Artist feedback

“Tom’s [An Artist-in-residence] visits make me feel happy, I look at the drawings all week and they help me remember.” Patient Feedback

By supporting Arts in Healthcare through a donation, you are enabling more projects to take place and more people to experience the joy of creating.

As Project Lead Angela Conlan notes in the YouTube video: "So when I come into hospitals I am working with patients and staff to increase wellbeing through arts projects. We might one day be doing some dancing, we might be doing some mosaiking, we might be doing some painting but the idea behind it is to be mindful, to increase relaxation and just to take people's mind off where they are, just for a moment."