The Arts, Health and Social Change Research Group's primary goals are to create greater opportunities for the development and implementation of art-based activities that promote social change towards an inclusive, equalities-focused model. This supports changes to NHS settings, health practices and patient inclusion.
The group explores leading theories of arts therapies, social work, psychology, and health, to critically investigate ideologies that promote heterosexual, abled, white, Eurocentric hegemony. This is an interdisciplinary research group across arts and health that will also promote emergent ideas where those ideas have scope to impact on social change, develop new ways of co-creating through arts and evaluate the impact of the use of arts-based practices.
Social change can also include developing new paradigms, relationships and ways of being aligned to improving health and wellbeing through arts-based socio-political-eco-culture-nature practices. This also means that we explore existing demarcations of boundaries (e.g. health/illness, embodiment/disembodiment, culture/nature) to reframe what it means to provide mental health treatment, or improve wellbeing. Engaging with any arts may have therapeutic factors, and we explore visual arts, drama, music, dance and creative digital activities as intrinsic to enabling social change.
Therefore, the purpose of this research group is rooted in the rapidly increasing need to create academic, social, community, interdisciplinary, and health-related materials and conceptual resources to broaden the evidence base through developing knowledge about approaches to arts-based practices, particular those in mental health and wellbeing services.
We also endeavour to build dialogues, networks and research with healthcare workers, students and clients using the Research Group as a vehicle to provide a platform to have debates, communications and engage in theory-in-practice (e.g. through presentations, experiential work, live performance, research works-in-progress, student-led seminars).
This group also meets the strategic priorities of improving wellbeing, inclusion, and human health throughout the life span. Populations that are marginalised or overshadowed by dominant discourses may not engage in traditional therapies because of issues related to stigma, culture, communication, beliefs, and concepts. Studies have become more frequent that indicate arts-based practices are a useful tool to shift power relations and improve health and wellbeing in larger groups, communities, and society. Our goal is to promote sustainable strategies for healing through the arts by discovering novel ways to use arts that bring us nearer to social equalities, increasing our understanding of the social and conceptual functions.
Our objectives
The primary objectives of the Arts, Health and Social Change Research Group are:
- to attract research income through successfully apply for resources and funding (e.g., NIHR, UKRI, AHRC, Wellcome Trust) of up to £150,000 in each academic year
- to develop/evolve/employ arts-based methods of investigation through implementing at least one research project each year
- to engage with policy makers in communicating and shaping research, especially in health and wellbeing sectors
- to establish high-quality international academic partnerships
- to establish high-quality industry partnerships
- to engage our student community in the challenge of providing arts-based practices through research informed teaching and related student experience activities.
Our facilities and settings
The research conducted by the Arts, Health, and Social Change Research Group uses a range of contexts within Brunel and the NHS to carry out research projects, including:
- Art Studios: For projects involving visual arts, sculpture, or other artistic mediums.
- Music Studios: Research related to music therapy or the impact of music on health.
- Dance and Movement Spaces: For studies focusing on dance therapy or the therapeutic benefits of movement, access to dance studios or spaces with appropriate flooring and mirrors.
- Technology and Digital Resources: Projects involving digital arts, creative digital activities, or the development of well-being apps provides access to computers, software, and digital media production facilities.
- Clinical Settings: Research involving patient populations includes access to clinical facilities such as hospitals, mental health clinics, or rehabilitation centers.
- Laboratories: For investigations related to the neuroscience of art therapy or brain injury, access to neuroscience laboratories with brain imaging equipment.
- Community Centres: Community-based interventions involves access to community centres or spaces where group activities can take place.
- Collaborative Spaces: Dedicated spaces where researchers can meet, brainstorm, and work together.