health
Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt review
A professor of psychobiology argues that art – from painting to theatre – has a measurable impact on our health
TL;DR
- Daisy Fancourt's "Art Cure" scientifically argues for the deep connection between arts engagement and health.
- Artistic interventions can be broken down into "active ingredients" that trigger specific biological mechanisms for health benefits.
- Studies show singing to babies in intensive care can reduce heart rate, improve breathing, and encourage feeding.
- Creative engagement, alongside conventional treatment, can reduce stress and pain, improve balance in Parkinson's patients, and help ventilator patients breathe independently.
- The economic case for arts engagement includes significant potential savings for healthcare systems by delaying conditions like dementia.
- Despite evidence, arts funding and engagement are declining, leading Fancourt to call for a collective recognition of arts deprivation's public health consequences.
- The book prompts reflection on whether reducing art to measurable outcomes diminishes its intrinsic value.