Arts Council England has announced a £600,000 investment in a creative health programme.

The 18-month investment in the National Centre for Creative Health’s (NCCH) Creative Health Associates Programme is one of the largest grants made by the Arts Council in a creative health project.

The programme will support the NCCH’s ambition to foster the conditions for creative health to be integral to health and care and demonstrate the power of culture and creativity to benefit the lives of individuals and communities.

It will see the appointment of seven creative health associates, one in each of the seven NHS regions in England, working to embed creative approaches and activities in health and care systems across the country. 

The NCCH is also seeking a creative health associate programme manager to coordinate the programme and support the creative health associates to learn from each other and from experts in the field including experts by experience.

Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England, said: “We know that creativity can have an enormous impact on health and wellbeing, and that linking creative activities with healthcare can give doctors, nurses and other practitioners powerful new tools to improve the wellbeing of the people they care for.  We’re excited to continue our work in the growing field of creative health as a partner of organisations such as NCCH, and look forward to seeing the impact this ground-breaking project has in the years to come.”

The deadline for applications is midnight, 30 April 2023.