The ArtBridges Resource Portal connects you to community arts toolkits and research, reflections and stories, program ideas, and more. These resources have been developed and generously shared by artists and cultural workers in Canada through the course of their work.

“Participation in the arts, whether more passively as a spectator or more actively when engaged in creative expression, seems to activate known mental and physical mechanisms which reduce tensions, strengthen the immune system and protect against depression. Participation also widens social networks, reduces feelings of isolation and marginalization, giving a feeling of connection, or belonging to a group.” – Arts Health Network Canada

If you have heard about the 12 ‘Key Determinants of Health’ developed by Health Canada, you might be surprised to hear that 8 of them can be positively affected by arts activity. Or perhaps not – many community-engaged artists are well aware of the positive benefits of participation in the arts. Yet we don’t always have the tools at our fingertips to explain why we are so sure of that fact. For those who wish to prove some of the more tangible benefits of the arts, the Arts Health Network Canada is a rich resource of research and statistics.

The Impact of Arts on Health is a recent 2 page backgrounder from Arts Health Network Canada, which shares key statistics on the impact of arts on healthcare and individual and community health. This resource would be useful to those who are working in the field of arts and health, or who wish to make a stronger case for funding health-related arts projects. More research like this is available through Arts Health Network Canada.

To access the Impact of Arts on Health report, please visit the ArtBridges Resource Portal.

-Skye Louis, ArtBridges Resource Developer
Read Arts Health Network Canada’s profile in our Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map