Research briefing on equality, diversity and inclusion in arts and health

Vougioukalou, Sofia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0788-0373 2022. Research briefing on equality, diversity and inclusion in arts and health. [Discussion Paper]. Cardiff: Cardiff University. Available at: https://ylab.wales/HARP/researchbriefings

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Abstract

Within the updated Programme for Government is a pledge to: “Introduce an all-Wales framework to roll out social prescribing to tackle isolation”. Social prescribing is a key component of universal personalised care where patients are in control of their care package. A recent Senedd Research Service briefing noted, social prescribing aligns with the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014, both of which are founded upon models that recognise the impact of social aspects on health and wellbeing. Also, Welsh Government’s plan for an Anti-Racist Wales highlights tackling health inequalities faced by the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community. Furthermore, ‘A Healthier Wales: plan for health and social care’ sets out a long term future vision of a ‘whole system approach to health and social care’, which is focussed on health and wellbeing, and on preventing illness. The COVID-19 pandemic occurred against a backdrop of social and economic inequalities in existing non-communicable diseases as well as inequalities in the social determinants of health. Inequalities in COVID-19 infection and mortality rates arose as a result of the cumulative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, inequalities in chronic diseases and the social determinants of health. Therefore, when engaging under-represented groups that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic such as ethnic minorities and disabled people, care and attention needs to be paid to acknowledge the trauma of that experience in order to build relationships and overcome distrust. Questions have been raised on the applicability of arts and health interventions to different demographics, particularly on the aesthetics of the ‘art’ and the audiences that it appeals to. Diversity and inclusion are concepts that are currently widely discussed in the arts and often used interchangeably. Yet they mean very two different things: ‘diversity is being invited to the party whereas inclusion is being asked to dance’. A recent study in the US found that many arts public sector organisations talk about being inclusive or diverse without ever identifying the marginalised or low-resourced groups in the community. In Wales, the manifesto launched in 2021 by Disability Arts Cymru and partners Wales Arts International, Disability Wales and Arts Council Wales called for the cultural and international rights for disabled people to be respected in line with recommendations from United Nations Convention for the Rights of Disabled People. The manifesto states that disabled 2 of 4 people are often left behind when it comes to creative life and recommends that organisations follow the social model of disability in all work with disabled people to ensure their inclusion. To help redress this balance, an innovation and research partnership between Arts Council of Wales, Nesta and Cardiff University called Health, Arts, Research & People (HARP) tested new ideas and approaches in arts and health. The research team, based within Cardiff University’s public services innovation lab for Wales (Y Lab), recently carried out a series of in-depth interviews on the process of embedding the arts within health and social care systems. As part of this research, participants were asked about their views about how the arts integrated within health and social care systems and served minoritised populations in relation to ethnicity, race, language and sexuality.

Item Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Publisher:	Cardiff University
Funders:	Arts Council Wales
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2024 11:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/156605

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