Culture

What do we mean when we say culture?

In a neighbourhood, culture can refer to cultural institutions, such as concert halls and libraries, and it can express itself in music and street art and in the shared values, beliefs, practices, traditions and social behaviours that characterise the community. Cultural events and celebrations, and local culinary traditions, all provide opportunities for residents to come together, share their heritage, and show pride in their community.

Access to different kinds of arts and culture, formal or otherwise, is a vital part in continuing to make engaged and active communities. [71] Arts and cultural activities can play an important role in engaging and inspiring local communities to get more involved in activities and initiatives locally, for example volunteering their time, expertise and energy to support others. [72]

Art and culture can broaden people’s experiences and enable them to think about other people, in a potentially more neutral and more engaged environment than would be produced by conventional political dialogue. We believe in empowerment that can be deployed to give particular groups and individuals the capacity and/or resources to make their own decisions about their neighbourhoods. This capacity building enables communities to use existing community assets such as local culture to address local needs.[73]

People in blue and gold carnival costumes

How does this affect health and wellbeing?

Evidence demonstrates the valuable contribution of arts and culture to supporting public health objectives, including positive health promotion to prevent periods of ill health and creating healthy communities through a place based approach. [74] Communities and neighbourhoods that have a strong sense of place, created by a rich mix of culture and access to it, are argued to encourage a longterm commitment and engagement from residents. [75] Recognition of a place’s culture, history and heritage help to foster a sense of place, [76] and access to historic places with events and activities can help create collective empowerment for local people. [77]

The social value of culture and access to cultural spaces is acknowledged through ‘arts on prescription’ programmes, which enable GPs to refer people to museums and other cultural spaces to improve their wellbeing. [78] This process is a form of social prescribing in which health or social care practitioners refer people to a service or a source of support, such as a voluntary group or arts and culture activity. Research has shown that social prescribing can address various social inequalities that impact our physical and mental health such as isolation, loneliness and unemployment. [79] This can specifically help disadvantaged communities and aid in addressing the social determinants of health. [80] Frequent participation with the arts and cultural spaces/events has been shown to improve mental health or lower mental distress across all demographics, [81] and evidence has found that healthy ageing can be improved by participation with arts for mental, emotional and physical health for all ages. [82]

Case study

A sense of wonder: West End, Glasgow

Glasgow West End is a series of connected neighbourhoods with a strong cultural and artistic identity and a wealth of activity and bustle.

This area is a great place to live and visit for artists and art lovers, featuring a number of popular art galleries, including the Kelvingrove and Hunterian Gallery and small independent galleries. The Finnieston neighbourhood boasts ‘The Hidden Lane’: a collection of 100 artist and musician studios, a gallery and a tearoom.