Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health, and Wellbeing
International perspectives on practice, policy and research
Oxford Textbooks in Public Health Series

There is growing interest internationally in the contributions which the creative arts can make to wellbeing and health in both healthcare and community settings. A timely addition to the field, the Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health, and Wellbeing is the first work of its kind to discuss the role the creative arts have in addressing some of the most pressing public health challenges faced today. Providing an evidence-base and recommendations for a wide audience, this is an essential resource for anyone involved with this increasingly important component of public health practice. The textbook offers key insights for developing new creative arts-based approaches to health and wellbeing, and shows how these can augment established practices within a variety of social settings. Theoretically grounded and with a strong evidence base, this book brings together contributions from both practitioners and researches to provide a comprehensive account of the field. Using international examples, the textbook elucidates the various approaches that have successfully led to improvements in public health, whilst case studies in healthcare practices evaluate the impact of arts-based initiatives in a multitude of international settings, life-course stages, and social milieus. The Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health, and Wellbeing is a comprehensive resource that will be essential to anyone with an interest in this increasingly important component of public health practice.

Stephen Clift is Professor of Health Education in the Faculty of Health and Social Care, Canterbury Christ Church University, and Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health. He is also Professorial Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and has lead on developments within the Society related to creative arts and health. He has worked in the field of health promotion and public health for over twenty-five years, and has made contributions to research, practice and training on HIV/AIDS prevention, sex education, international travel and health and the health promoting school. His current interests relate to arts and heath and particularly the potential value of group singing for health and wellbeing. He is also founding co-executive editor of Arts & Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice. Paul Camic is Professor of Psychology and Public Health and Research Director, Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University. He is also a clinical health psychologist and Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. His research has been focused in health and community psychology in the USA and UK including the field of arts and health. He has a particular interest in the involvement of museums and galleries as community-based places for wellbeing and health for people with mental health problems and those with a dementia. He is also founding co-executive editor of Arts & Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice.