MA, PG CERT, PG DIP Art, Health and Wellbeing

Push your art practice and creativity beyond existing boundaries, towards ethical, practical, and inclusive approaches addressing global health and wellbeing challenges, and make a positive contribution to society, healthcare, and planet through ethical and systemic creative interventions.

In a world that needs people to stay well, recover faster, manage long-term conditions, and experience a better quality of life, art professionals have never played such a central role - tackling physical, mental and social wellbeing as well as increasing human productivity, strengthening local relationships, and building strong communities through art-based interventions and creative non-clinical approaches that are connected, shared, and intelligent.

Study MA Art, Health, and Wellbeing at ARU, and develop the theoretical, practical, and leadership skills, understanding and knowledge that are critical to creating dynamic and inclusive forms of participatory research and practice, community engagement and resilience building, and creative urban culture. You’ll gain a broad understanding of ethical and future health from the perspective of art and will tackle mental, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing issues in a global context by rethinking existing places, environments, and communities including reducing individual loneliness and isolation, increasing prosocial behaviours, reducing aggression and discrimination, and improving social consciousness.

ARU has been recognised ranked first in the UK and 20th in the world for health and wellbeing in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

You’ll work closely with students from across the Cambridge School of Art, including the postgraduate students from Human-Centred Design and Interior Design Innovation on an industry-led collaborative project and deliver public-facing events. As an Art, Health, and Wellbeing student in Cambridge, you’ll be able to work in a start-up environment and a relaxed culture in which creativity and creative problem solving are valued and build strong relationships and freely exchange thoughts and ideas. Most importantly, you’ll receive support and guidance from our experienced staff who, as well as running their own studio practice, have worked with companies such as the NHS, Prepared International, Nebama Mind, World Health Organisation, and World Humanitarian Forum. The creative freedom offered by the course results in a variety of degree outputs based on art futuring, ideas and methods for creativity as an expanded ethical and professional practice, from social prescribing and increasing human connectivity, to overcoming fear, pain, anxiety, depression and stress.

Talks from visiting lecturers and live briefs from industry are built into our course. They focus on areas including participatory research and practice, digital health, social design and sustainability, interactive storytelling and digital technologies, care systems and future health. We'll encourage you to build your profile by entering national and international competitions, as well as taking part in our own competitions such as the Sustainability Art Prize. You'll have the chance to develop a business plan and pitch for start-up funding through our annual competition, The Big Pitch, and you can get involved in our research conferences and creative events.