RESUMEN
Objective: To rapidly synthesise evidence for local practice on what initiatives UK European Capitals and Cities of Culture (UKEUCoCs) have implemented connecting cultural activities with green, blue, or outdoor space (culture-nature initiatives) and their impacts on planetary health outcomes: personal health and wellbeing, wider determinants of health particularly the environment, and existing inequality. Study design: Rapid evidence review. Methods: A rapid review of published articles and evaluation reports. Published articles were identified through database searches (Proquest, OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE) in January-February 2024. Data was extracted directly into a table and findings synthesised narratively by theme. Results: Published evidence about UKEUCoC culture-nature initiatives was limited but five initiative types were identified: 1) growing-focused activities; 2) activities exploring human-nature relationships; 3) targeted nature-based wellbeing activities; 4) activities connecting cultural engagement with environmental activism; and 5) use of outdoor spaces for artworks, performances and festivals. UKEUCoC culture-nature initiatives may contribute to short-term improvements in mental health and wellbeing (confidence, self-esteem, subjective wellbeing), community health (community relations, civic pride), cultural participation, and local environmental quality and use, but risk widening existing inequalities. Co-creating initiatives at hyper-local levels with marginalised groups and trusted Community Champions, active involvement, and creating equitable access to livelihood opportunities may mitigate inequality risks. Conclusions: Evidence is limited but suggests UKEUCoC culture-nature initiatives could positively support planetary health outcomes in the short-term. Equity in these outcomes appears to rely however, on action to ensure the involvement of and sustainable livelihood creation for marginalised groups. It is unclear how outcomes are generated across the initiative types identified, including through interactions between them, where they are implemented. The five initiative types identified in this work could be targeted for further investigation in research and practice on culture-nature initiatives for health more generally, using a complex systems approach to evaluation.
RESUMEN
Creative well-being is an increasing field of interest to which biomedical and social sciences have made uneven contributions. The instrumental value of culture and its subsequential public investment is grounded in the interplay of social, cultural and economic capital to attain and preserve wellbeing and health and foster social mobility. The current evidence addresses the effectiveness of arts interventions in improving illnesses. Little attention has been paid to the social value of creative wellbeing for the general population. This paper is a rapid review and evidence synthesis that aims to answer the question, 'What is the social value of place-based arts and culture interventions at individual (wellbeing) and community (social inequalities) levels in the UK and Europe?'. After a systematic search of five databases, search engines, and a call for evidence in August 2022, 14 out of 974 sources met the inclusion criteria. Studies were organised into three themes (Community, Events, Museums), and outcomes were analysed considering the indicators and dimensions of wellbeing (Office for National Statistics). The review evidenced that creative wellbeing leads to improvements in wellbeing outcomes and can contribute to alleviating social determinants of health. However, considering their impact on the underlying causes of structural social inequalities requires caution.