All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing
Name	All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing
Formation	2014
Type	All-Party Parliamentary Group
Purpose	Advocacy for arts in health and social care
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chair

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing is a cross-party forum linking members of the House of Commons and House of Lords with practitioners, researchers and institutions involved in arts and health. It brings together politicians, cultural organisations and health bodies to consider evidence from cultural institutions, academic centres and charities about creative interventions in clinical and community settings. The group convenes inquiries, evidence sessions and collaborations with universities, trusts and museums.

History

The group was established amid dialogues involving MPs and peers influenced by initiatives at National Health Service (England), advocacy from Arts Council England, and research from universities such as King's College London, University College London, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge. Early meetings featured speakers from Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Nursing and charities like Mind (charity), Arts Council England and Royal Voluntary Service. It engaged with cultural institutions including the Royal Opera House, Tate Modern, British Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and Barbican Centre and with local authorities like Greater London Authority and Manchester City Council. The group’s formation followed precedents set by alliances including Nesta, Wellcome Trust, King's Fund, and Health Foundation.

Objectives and remit

The group's remit includes informing parliamentary debate on arts-based interventions in clinical pathways influenced by research from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and trials funded by Medical Research Council. It seeks to synthesise evidence from academic units such as University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Birmingham, and University of Leeds alongside museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum and theatres like National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. Objectives encompass advising policymakers in bodies including Department of Health and Social Care, liaising with regulators such as Care Quality Commission, and promoting collaborations with funders including Arts Council England and Big Lottery Fund. The remit covers evaluation standards referencing guidance from NICE and practice models observed at Goodman Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, and English National Opera.

Membership and governance

Membership comprises parliamentarians from parties represented in Parliament of the United Kingdom, chairs and officers drawn from the House of Commons and House of Lords, and external secretariat support from organisations such as National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Arts Development UK, Helix Arts, and academic partners at Goldsmiths, University of London. Governance aligns with protocols of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and procedures like those used by other APPGs such as All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Heritage and Tourism and All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music. Meetings have included representatives from health providers such as Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England, Barts Health NHS Trust, and community partners like Cornerstone (charity). The secretariat role has at times been fulfilled by charities including Sing Your Heart Out, Creative Health CIC, and networks like Public Health England stakeholders.

Activities and initiatives

The group organises inquiries, oral evidence sessions, roundtables and events in venues such as the House of Commons, British Library, Wellcome Collection, and Royal Society. It has convened expert panels featuring academics from University of Warwick, University of York, Newcastle University, and Queen Mary University of London alongside practitioners from Care UK, St. Mungo's, Age UK, and arts organisations like Brunel University London creative labs. Initiatives include thematic inquiries into arts in mental health referencing programmes at Mind (charity), creative ageing projects associated with Age UK, and community arts pilots modelled on projects by The Tate and Manchester International Festival. The APPG has collaborated with funders and trusts including Wellcome Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, and Joseph Rowntree Foundation to develop pilot programmes.

Reports and publications

The group has produced inquiry reports synthesising evidence from researchers at London School of Economics, Imperial College London, University of Nottingham, University of Southampton, University of Stirling, and University of Strathclyde. Publications reference case studies from institutions such as Royal Opera House, English National Ballet, Rambert, Globe Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, Sadler's Wells, and galleries like National Portrait Gallery. Reports draw on data and evaluation frameworks used by NICE, Public Health England, Health Foundation, and academic journals including The Lancet, BMJ, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, and Social Science & Medicine. Briefings distributed to MPs and peers cite outcomes from clinical trials and pilot evaluations conducted at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Impact and evaluation

The APPG's influence is visible in parliamentary questions tabled in the House of Commons and debates in the House of Lords citing evidence from reports and testimonies from organisations like Arts Council England, Wellcome Trust, NHS England, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Nursing, and charities such as Mind (charity) and Age UK. Evaluations by academic partners at King's College London and University College London indicate associations between arts interventions and outcomes used by commissioners in Clinical Commissioning Groups and trusts like Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. The APPG's work has informed policy guidance and prompted collaborative programmes with local government bodies including Birmingham City Council, Leeds City Council, Bristol City Council, and cultural agencies like Creative Scotland and Arts Council Wales. Ongoing evaluation uses methodologies developed in collaboration with research centres such as Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute for Cultural Practices, and evaluation specialists at Nesta.

Category:United Kingdom parliamentary groups