We are very pleased to announce that core CR&DALL member, Maria Grazia Imperiale, is the co-I of a new Arts and Humanties Research Council (AHRC) funded project entitled, Seeing Arts Health Research Enacted (SHARED): Understanding what works for whom in arts and humanities-based approaches for mental health and wellbeing across the globe. Congratulations to Grazia on this award.

This project will establish an international network of researchers, arts providers and health partners to explore:  

• which Arts and Humanities based approaches are working for whom (when, why and where); and
• what is evidenced best practice for embedding Arts and Humanities-based research in mental health and wellbeing provision in diverse socio-cultural contexts, nationally and globally. 

With a specific focus on equality and inclusion, and the special part Arts and Humanities have to play in overcoming health inequities and exclusions globally, the network is motivated by a ‘trans-knowledging’ agenda. Research evidence shows that high income countries have valuable lessons to learn from low-income ones, especially in embracing pluralism in respect of approaches to mental health and wellbeing.  

The project is led from the University of Liverpool by Prof Josie Billington, and includes a number of partners as follows:

• Mishwar Amal (Scotland/Lebanon)
• Wellbeing of the Woods (Glasgow, Scotland)
• UNESCO RILA (University of Glasgow, Scotland)
• Nawa for Culture and Arts Association (Palestine)
• Sturzebecker Health Science Centre, integrating arts with mindfulness (USA)
• Community-based Sociotherapy Adapted for Refugees (COSTAR) (Uganda and Rwanda).
• NHS Mersey Care & Liverpool Philharmonic (Liverpool, UK)
• Cinema, Memory and Wellbeing (UK/Brazil)
• Reading in the Care Home (New Zealand)
• Uganda Clinical Psychology Association (Uganda)