The Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing is a unique Centre with regional, national and international reputation due to its strong emphasis on high quality research with interdisciplinary character and impactful knowledge exchange activities. The Centre works closely with the WHO Arts and Health office, it has received external funding from bodies such as NIHR, AHRC, ESRC, Arts Council, the Welcome Trust and the European Union, and explores the role of the arts to supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals across the life span and their communities.
The Centre celebrates the use of diverse research approaches from creative co-produced research to high profile outcome and implementation studies. The co-produced and applied character of the research findings generated from the Centre are disseminated through publications, events and masterclasses and benefit many people, their communities, statutory and non-statutory organisations and services, contributing towards improved practice with sustainable impact.
In addition to its strong portfolio of externally funded research, the Centre has an active approach to knowledge exchange, including the commercialisation of intellectual property created by members of the Centre.
In summary, the aim of the Centre, ‘to engage in purposeful interdisciplinary research with people across their life span in creative ways, that are participatory, ethical and of demonstrable value’.
The Centre’s mission is ‘to generate, process and actively disseminate research evidence’.
Three main strands of research covered by the Centre are as follows:
Research on performance
Bringing together psychological, health and educational research with research in performance and the arts. It focuses on the development of performative material that challenges perceptions around mental health, and encourages aspects of wellbeing for artists and audiences. It also supports dissemination of existing research findings from different disciplines in artistic forms. This strand focuses on partnerships with cultural organisations and independent practitioners.
Community and workplace projects
Working with key partners on participatory arts that will be tailored to different groups, their communities and workplaces. Collaborations with voluntary organisations, mainstream and special needs schools, private organisations and businesses will develop and make direct use of good practice in arts-based interventions, aiming to support people’s wellbeing including both service users as well as the organisation’s workforce.
Clinical research
Researching the use of the arts in health contexts and environments with people who are vulnerable either because of mental or physical ill health, their age, disability, gender, socioeconomic disadvantage and/or inequality. Collaborations will be fostered with partners with clinical expertise such as psychotherapists, arts psychotherapists, psychologists, nurses and medics as well as other health professionals. The centre has strong partnerships with a number of NHS trusts.
The Centre’s researchers come from different disciplines and specialties including arts and health researchers, computer and sports specialists, and engage with multi-layered, national and international partnerships including NHS Trusts, charities, schools, and cultural organisations contributing toward good practice in the arts to improve the lives of people, their communities and their wider environment. Our manifesto with relevant illustrated material can also be found here:
Vicky is the Director of the Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing. She joined Edge Hill University in 2013 and currently holds a split post between the School of Applied Health and Social Care and the Department of Performing Arts, spending her time teaching and researching equally between these two subject areas.
After gaining her MEd and PhD, Karkou’s doctoral work was published in her first co-authored book Arts Therapies: A Research-Based Map of the Field. Her success in external funding allowed her to research topics relating to the use of the arts and arts therapies and to generate material for her second edited book Arts Therapies in Schools.
Vicky’s research work remains diverse ranging from artistic inquiry to systematic reviews and meta-analyses. For example, with a team of two colleague from Leeds University, she has completed two Cochrane Reviews on the effectiveness of Dance Movement Therapy for Depression and Dementia. Vicky was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of Medicine from Riga Stradins University in Latvia for her services in supporting the development of arts psychotherapies in this country.
Alex Coulter, Director of Arts and Health South West and Director of the National Centre for Creative Health
Dr Simon Hackett, Consultant Art Psychotherapist, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust & Senior Clinical Lecturer in Mental Health, Newcastle University
Nisha Sajnani, Director of the Dramatherapy program at New York University & Principal Editor of Drama Therapy Review.
Rebecca Ross-Williams, Creative Director & Chief Operating Officer, Liverpool Lighthouse.
Valentina Cazzato, Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience, Liverpool John Moores University
Prof Anita Gonzalez professor of performing arts and black studies, Creative director of woodshed collective.
Nicola Hopson Learning and Events Coordinator, Liverpool Philharmonic
Lisa Allen (CEO and creative director of Shakespeare north playhouse
Stephen Sandford (chief Allied health professionals’ officer, NHS Lancashire and south Cumbria ICB)
Dr Shaun Liverpool, social work and wellbeing
Prof Vicky Karkou (Director), social work and wellbeing
Ken Fletcher, research office
Dorothy Tse, psychology
Robyn Dowlen, social work and wellbeing
Rebecca Clark, Research office
Advisory group members
External Consultants
Alex Coulter, Director of Arts and Health South West and Director of the National Centre for Creative Health
Dr Simon Hackett, Consultant Art Psychotherapist, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust & Senior Clinical Lecturer in Mental Health, Newcastle University
Andy Kerr, Independent Member. Andy is a performer, a trustee board member of YPAS (Young Person’s Advisory Service) and takes an active interest in social injustice, mental health, LGBT and community arts.
Clare Mahoney, Senior Programme Manager, Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group.
Sarah Niblock, Chief Executive, UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
Nisha Sajnani, Director of the Dramatherapy program at New York University & Principal Editor of Drama Therapy Review.
Rebecca Ross-Williams, Creative Director & Chief Operating Officer, Liverpool Lighthouse.
Valentina Cazzato, Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience, Liverpool John Moores University
