One Nation/One Project Research Brief

Arts participation in communities can significantly influence social cohesion and wellbeing. One Nation/One Project aims to explore this relationship, as detailed in the One Nation/One Project Research Brief #1.

At a time when Americans face significant challenges to their well-being, the bold new campaign Arts For EveryBody, aimes to demonstrate how the arts can lead to healthier individuals and communities. This initiative aims to go beyond entertainment and inspiration; it represents a pivotal moment in the intersection of arts and health in America. Led by One Nation/One Project, Arts for EveryBody has commissioned a series of research studies led by Dr. Jill Sonke, Ph.D., at the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine.

The first study, published in the Health Promotion Practice Journal and proposed here, defines “arts participation” in a new, inclusive way, enhancing public health research. Through participatory, qualitative, quantitative, and arts-based methods, the research team focuses on understanding the relationships between arts participation and community health across the U.S.

The study explores various forms of arts engagement, including informal, formal, live, virtual, individual, and group participation. It reveals that older adults who engage in the arts have a 48% lower risk of depression and a 44% reduction in dementia. The health benefits of arts participation are comparable to those of regular exercise, reducing stress and loneliness, which are risk factors for various ailments.

Additionally, arts participation has social benefits; young adults who have arts-rich experiences are more likely to stay in school, and four out of five young adults with such experiences are more likely to vote.