Call for evidence – Creativity and personal wellbeing

This call for evidence closed in October 2023.

Together with University of the Arts: London and Brunel University London we are bringing together the evidence on the links between creativity and personal wellbeing.

We want to know:

1. What are the effects of creativity and creative participation on personal wellbeing?
2. What are the relationships between creativity, creative participation and personal wellbeing?
3. What are the contexts and mechanisms that lead to the effects of and relationships between creativity and creative participation on personal wellbeing?

What are we asking from you?

We’re looking for studies produced by charities, government departments, businesses, community groups and defined as ‘grey literature’ – studies  not formally published in sources such as books or journal articles. These may include evaluation reports,  theses or dissertations, trials, and more. Studies must present evidence on activities that involve creativity through individual or group participation and their connection to individual wellbeing.  

We’re looking for evidence from activities involving creativity, for example: visual arts, design, performing arts, crafts, creative writing, film making, music. Activities can take place in any setting, including community spaces, workplaces, educational organisations, or at home. 

Submitted reports must meet ALL of the following criteria:

1. Assess interventions that involve adults over the age of 18 (whether healthy or living with a health condition) who are engaging in activities involving creativity.
2. Use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods designs to measure wellbeing outcomes or assess processes whereby wellbeing outcomes are achieved.  
3. Published on or after 2010 
4. Be in written form 
5. Written in English and publicly available.

How to submit your evidence

Please send any relevant studies electronically to Garcia.Ashdown-Franks@brunel.ac.uk, with the subject line Call for evidence: creativity and personal wellbeing.                                        

All submissions should be received by 12 October 2023.

Further information

What do we mean by ‘creativity’?

For this review we are using Arts Council England’s definition: ‘Creativity’ describes the process through which people apply their knowledge, skill and intuition to imagine, conceive, express or make something that wasn’t there before.

What kind of wellbeing outcomes are we looking for?

The kinds of subjective wellbeing outcomes we are looking for include: life satisfaction, happiness, sense of purpose, reduction in anxiety/stress and other measures of feelings, mood or emotions and esteem, confidence, belonging and loneliness.