Oxford Social Prescribing researchers support Boundless Creativity campaign
Members of the Oxford Social Prescribing Research Group were invited to share their work and insights with the Boundless Creativity campaign, a joint research project between the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The project was set up in response to the COVID pandemic and recognised the vital role that cultural activities can have in supporting our health and mental wellbeing.
Lord Mendoza, the Government’s Commissioner for Cultural Renewal and Provost of Oriel College, jointly chaired the panel with Professor Andrew Thompson, UKRI International Champion. Attending the meeting were Kamal Mahtani and Stephanie Tierney from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, NDPCHS and Lucy Shaw from the Gardens Libraries and Museums Division. The team provided the panel with examples of their work, including the role for gardens, libraries and museums in supporting social prescribing. They also discussed emerging data from their UKRI AHRC funded project exploring social prescribing within the cultural sector for older people in the time of COVID.
The Boundless Creativity campaign sought views, case studies, and broader evidence to support recommendations in their final report around boosting access to culture and improving the evidence base underpinning its health benefits.