Canadians’ Arts Participation, Health, and Well-Being

Probes the relationships between 15 arts, culture, and heritage activities, and aspects of health and well-being. The research shows important linkages between the arts and health, linkages that are particularly important within the current pandemic and eventual post-pandemic recovery: a strong connection between cultural participation and overall health, and solid evidence of a connection between cultural participation and mental health.

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Value Study of GLAMs In Canada

Report on the quantitative and qualitative value of Canadian galleries, libraries, archives and museums. Canadian GLAMs receive an estimated 150 million visits a year, contributing nearly $8.6 billion of economic value, and promote heritage while providing access to resources for education, research, learning and artistic creation.

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Culture in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda

Outlines the inclusion of culture in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With 10 years left to implement the 2030 Agenda, monitoring, measuring, and implementing culture as part of the SDGs is identified as an urgent priority. The report provides recommendations for placing culture at the heart of sustainable development.

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Cultural Activities Linked to Lower Mortality

Research from the British Medical Journal shows substantial reductions in mortality for participants who engaged in cultural activities at the initial assessment point when adjusted for all identified demographic, socioeconomic, health related, behavioural, and social factors. Visiting museums, theatres, concerts and art galleries once or twice a year can reduce the risk of death by 14%, with more regular attendance lowering the risk by as much as 31%.

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Social Impacts of Culture and the Arts WA

This Social Impact study from Australia identifies and quantifies social benefits in the broader community that are generated through participation or attendance at artistic and cultural activities. An extensive literature review was undertaken to identify positive social impacts clearly linked to artistic and cultural activities. The review covered a diverse spectrum of studies and identified three main social instrumental impacts that have the potential to be quantified: health, education, and social capital.

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Culture & Working Conditions for Artists

This UNESCO study uncovers persisting and emerging challenges artists and cultural professionals face and examines how countries around the world are addressing these issues through policymaking. While the role of music, books and films in our lives may be vivid and evident, the labour that goes into making these products often remain under-recognized and undercompensated.

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Artists in Canada’s Provinces and Territories in 2016 (With Summary Information about Cultural Workers)

Provides an in-depth examination of the number and incomes of artists in each province and territory of Canada, based on the 2016 census. The report also provides a brief summary of the situation of cultural workers in each province and territory. There are 726,600 cultural workers in Canada, including heritage occupations (such as librarians, museum workers, and archivists), cultural occupations (such as designers, editors, and architects), and the nine arts occupations. Cultural workers account for 4% of the overall labour force. British Columbia has the highest concentration of artists (1.18%) and the second-highest concentration of cultural workers (4.7%) in the country.

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What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review

Over the past two decades, there has been a major increase in research into the effects of the arts on health and well-being, alongside developments in practice and policy activities. This report synthesizes the global evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being, with a specific focus on the WHO European Region. Results from over 3000 studies identified a major role for the arts in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health, and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan.

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How do Artistic Creative Activities Regulate our Emotions?

A survey of almost 50,000 people across the UK found that taking part in creative activities helps people manage stress, face up to challenges and explore solutions to problems in their lives. Researchers identified three key ways that creativity is used: as a ‘distraction tool’ to avoid stress; as a ‘contemplation tool’, creating the mental space to reassess problems and make plans; and for ‘self development’, building self-esteem and confidence.

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Shifting Paradigms: Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage

The standing committee on Canadian Heritage studied remuneration models for artists and creative industries, and in this report makes 22 recommendations for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government, related to artist remuneration and resale right, copyright, and digital markets and streaming services.

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Liberating Academic Mindsets Through Culturally Responsive Arts Integration

Shares the results of a multi-year Department of Education Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD) project, in which a partnership was developed between Arts Corps and the Highline School District south of Seattle, Washington. The project examined the impact that partnerships between classroom teachers and teaching artists have on 5th and 6th grade students’ academic mindsets and behaviors, school climate, and their transition to middle school. Findings show that the students in the four treatment schools exhibited higher levels of learner behaviors, strengthened their academic mindsets and increased their ELA and math test scores when compared to students at the four control schools.

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