COVID-19 CARE: Culture and the Arts, from Restriction to Enhancement: Protecting Mental Health in the Liverpool City Region

  • Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
  • Total publications:4 publications

Grant number: AH/V008765/1

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • Known Financial Commitments (USD)

    $211,169.38
  • Funder

    UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
  • Principal Investigator

    Josie Billington
  • Research Location

    United Kingdom
  • Lead Research Institution

    University of Liverpool
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Policies for public health, disease control & community resilience

  • Research Subcategory

    Approaches to public health interventions

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Non-Clinical

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Unspecified

  • Vulnerable Population

    Unspecified

  • Occupations of Interest

    Unspecified

Abstract

This study will assess the impact on mental health of restricted access to arts and culture in a specific city region, and track, enable and enhance the value of innovation in arts provision in mitigating associated harms. Liverpool has one of the richest concentrations of culture in the UK, boasting the largest clustering of museums and galleries outside London. Cultural capital is critical to the city region's economy, contributing c10% (Culture Liverpool,2019). The city also has a pioneering history of harnessing arts for mental health care through partnerships between culture and health providers. Building on the University of Liverpool's strong alliance with organisations across these sectors, this project brings together an interdisciplinary team of arts and mental health researchers to devise and conduct, in consultation with cultural and health bodies, two surveys. Survey 1 (online interviews) will target 20 arts organisations (10 civic institutions, 10 community arts programmes, representing 'elite' and 'popular' arts) to capture (i)the impact of COVID-19 on public access to arts provision (including those who usually access the arts through formal healthcare routes) and on audience/beneficiary change over time (legacy losses and potential gains) (ii)the success of alternative (e.g. online/digital) modes of provision by arts organisations in reaching and communicating with established and/or new audiences. Survey 2 (online questionnaire and supplementary online/telephone interviews) will target c300 arts' audiences/beneficiaries to capture (i)the impact on mental health of restricted/non-existent access to usual provision (ii)the perceived value and accessibility of alternative arts provision and the latter's impact on mental health/wellbeing.

Publicationslinked via Europe PMC

Come together: The importance of arts and cultural engagement within the Liverpool City Region throughout the COVID-19 lockdown periods.

Lifting lockdown: Renewed access to arts and cultural activities.

Back to live: Returning to in-person engagement with arts and culture in the Liverpool City Region.

Regional Innovation in Arts Provision Spawned by COVID-19: "It Became a Lifeline for a Lot of People Who Are Stuck at Home".