A Hole in the Heart: confronting the drive for evidence-based impact research in arts in health

Raw, A.; Lewis, S.; Russell, A.; Macnaughton, J.

doi:10.1080/17533015.2011.619991

A Hole in the Heart: confronting the drive for evidence-based impact research in arts in health

Raw, A.; Lewis, S.; Russell, A.; Macnaughton, J.

Authors

A. Raw

S. Lewis

Professor Andrew Russell a.j.russell@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Professor Jane Macnaughton jane.macnaughton@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Abstract

The field of arts and health, and associated academic discussion, is beset by a number of interlinked challenges which make it vulnerable to academic dismissal or, at best, poor visibility. One of these is a preoccupation with developing an evidence base of impact. This is compounded by resistance to definitions, disagreement over what constitutes appropriate evidence of success, and inadequate consideration of the mechanisms of arts and health practice, as opposed to outcomes. We argue that increased attention should be paid to the description, analysis and theorising of the practice itself as the basis upon which the findings of impact studies can be understood and accepted. A literature review identifies some important emerging themes in community arts and health practice, and some lacunae in need of further investigation. We conclude that an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for the practice could make a valuable contribution to the academic status of the field.

Citation

Raw, A., Lewis, S., Russell, A., & Macnaughton, J. (2012). A Hole in the Heart: confronting the drive for evidence-based impact research in arts in health. Arts and Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice, 4(2), 97-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2011.619991

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	Oct 20, 2011
Publication Date	Jun 1, 2012
Deposit Date	Dec 16, 2011
Publicly Available Date	Oct 20, 2012
Journal	Arts and Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice
Print ISSN	1753-3015
Electronic ISSN	1753-3023
Publisher	Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	4
Issue	2
Pages	97-108
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2011.619991
Keywords	Arts and health, Participatory arts, Practice, Interdisciplinarity, Theoretical frameworks.

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Copyright Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Arts & Health on 20/10/2011, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17533015.2011.619991.