Letters from Paula Briggs and Nicky Goulder respond to a Guardian editorial on the health benefits of arts engagement, emphasizing the need for equal access across society.
Children's Wellbeing and Arts Education
Paula Briggs, founder of AccessArt, argues that creative experiences help children feel connected, empowered, and engaged. She notes that despite the proven benefits, the arts have been undervalued in schools, leading to a narrow curriculum focused on measurable outcomes. Briggs points to high school absence rates, stating that many children do not feel they belong. A rich creative education cannot solve this alone but can make schools places where children feel seen and motivated. She insists that arts education should not be treated as an optional extra while worrying about mental health and disengagement.
Ageing and Arts Engagement
Nicky Goulder, founding CEO of Create, references UCL research linking arts engagement to slower biological ageing. She highlights that people from disadvantaged backgrounds have fewer creative opportunities. Goulder stresses that decades of evidence prove the arts boost physical and mental wellbeing. Her charity runs free artist-led workshops for excluded individuals, and evaluation data shows significant improvements in wellbeing and confidence, especially among the most disadvantaged. She warns that without addressing this imbalance, arts access becomes a driver of health inequality rather than a vehicle for improving wellbeing.
Both authors call for government action to integrate arts policy across education, culture, and health to ensure equal access for all.
