The arts: can creativity help mental health?

We know that singing, painting and other creative outlets can boost our mental health. But how do we harness the therapeutic power of the arts? Alisha speaks with UK researcher Professor Daisy Fancourt, whose work is helping to establish the arts as a key ingredient in conversations about mental wellbeing, alongside diet and exercise.

She also meets Vanessa, a mother in the UK who took part in a singing-based trial to reduce the effects of postpartum depression, and Kunle Adewale, an arts practitioner in Nigeria, whose own healing journey led him to empower others through arts engagement. It’s a powerful look at how creativity can shape healthier futures, backed by science and lived experience.

This episode features Breathe Melodies for Mums, a programme by Breathe Arts Health Research. Learn more at breatheahr.org/programmes/melodies-for-mums 

Video footage of the Melodies sessions was kindly provided by Breathe Arts Health Research.