Creative Health Research and Consultancy

Creative health is a way of thinking and working that acknowledges the health and wellbeing benefits of being creative and engaging with culture and heritage.

Dr Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt has unparalleled knowledge of creative health at the intersection between practice, policy and evidence.

Rebecca has worked in Parliament and with the Greater London Authority, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, London Arts & Health and many universities, trusts and foundations. She drafted the parliamentary report that gave the movement its current name, and she has done much to advance the argument that creative-health approaches can increase equity.

Policy

Policy provides the blueprint for an exciting new future. It can describe change at local, national, regional or international level. The most persuasive policy is often underpinned by evidence. This might be in the form of research or evaluation, or it might involve listening to other people’s stories.

Strategy

Once a commitment has been made to working in a certain way, it can be helpful to look at how and where change will be most effective. This involves looking at existing strategy and finding evidence and practice examples to illustrate how policy objectives can best be met.

Scoping

Before thinking about how change can be inspired through policy or strategy, it is important to have a clear picture of how things currently are. After a policy or strategy has been implemented, it is helpful to take stock of what has happened and the impact it has had.

Research

Research can be quantitative or qualitative; it can rely on big data or on more subjective accounts. It can be undertaken at first hand, through close analysis of a particular topic or field of action, or it can involve reviewing first-hand research to build a compelling picture.

Reports

News

Evaluating London’s Creative Health City Policy Design Process

During 2023, the Greater London Authority, Arts Council England and London Arts and Health asked more than 500 Londoners to initiate, build and test a model for the capital to become a Creative Health City. I evaluated this process and offered a series of reflections and recommendations.

March 24, 2024

Speaking at a Research Café in Manchester

On 7 February 2024, I was delighted to take part in a panel discussion on Creative Health and Health Inequalities in Greater Manchester at the invitation of the University of Manchester. I introduced the concept of creative health, and I spoke about how creative health approaches can help to increase equity.

March 2, 2024