Arts4Us

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation. Working together to scale up place-based arts initiatives that support the mental health of children and young people (CYP) (9-13).

The Arts4us project is a £2.5M AHRC funded project in collaboration with integrated care systems and community organisations. It focuses on the mental health of young people aged 9 to 13, a group at significant risk of developing mental health problems while transitioning from childhood to adolescence. The project will create an easy-to-use digital platform where evidence-based local arts activities can be made accessible for children and young people (CYP), their families and relevant organisations and services. CYP will act as co-researchers maximising the benefits of arts activities that support their mental health. They will work jointly with community partners, health services and academic institutions to develop evaluative frameworks, digital material and good arts-based practice that will support the mental health of CYP in the Northwest.

Our Objectives

• To develop a scalable mapping methodology that captures and streamlines access to place-based arts initiatives that support the mental health of CYP.
• To establish an agreed evaluation framework that can be used to identify best practice in arts initiatives.
• To test learning in new regions, optimising scaling up and adoption of arts initiatives in Integrated Care System, thus tackling health inequalities.

Meet our Project Team+

Professor Vicky Karkou

Lead PI

Edge Hill University

Dr Robyn Dowlen

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Edge Hill University

Ken Fletcher

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Edge Hill University

Rebecca Clark

Research Project Manager

Edge Hill University

Professor Michelle Howarth

Professor in Health & Social Care

Edge Hill University

Dr Pui Sze Cheung

Heath-Based Creative Health Associate

Edge Hill University

Dr Anna Smirnova

Heath-Based Creative Health Associate

Edge Hill University

Dr Shaun Liverpool

Senior Lecturer in Child and Adolescent MH & Wellbeing

Edge Hill University

Saz Domville

Community-Based Creative Health Associate

Edge Hill University

Nicola Brophy

Community-Based Creative Health Associate

Edge Hill University

Miriam Sakwa

Community-Based Creative Health Associate

Edge Hill University

Matthew McCloskey

Community-Based Creative Health Associate

Edge Hill University

Professor Marcello Trovati

Professor of Computer Science

Edge Hill University

Rhoda Madu

Digital Research Assistant

Edge Hill University

Dr Fei Chen

Reader in Architecture and Urban Design

University of Liverpool

Dr Anran Chen

Research Associate

University of Liverpool

Dr Joanna Omylinska-Thurston

Counselling Psychologist

University of Salford

Professor Scott Thurston

Professor of Poetry and Innovative Creative Practice

University of Salford

Kayleigh Hyland

Research Assistant

University of Salford

Meet Our Steering Group+

Professor Helen O'Keeffe

Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education

Edge Hill University

Professor Andy Smith

Professor of Sport, Education and Mental Health

Edge Hill University

Professor Ananda Breed

Professor in Theatre

University of Lincoln

Megan Schmidt-Sane

Research Fellow

Institute of Development Studies

Dr Zoe Moula

Lecturer in Mental Health

King's College London

Dr Zarnie Khadjesari

Associate Professor in Health Sciences

University of East Anglia

Professor Nusrat Husain

Clinical Chair in Psychiatry

University of Manchester

SS

Stephen Sandford

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Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan

National Clinical Director for Children and Young People's Mental Health

NHS England

Professor Sandeep Ranote

Medical Director and Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Roshelle Ramkisson

Research Associate

University of Manchester

Professor Greg Irving

Director of the Health Research Institute

Edge Hill University