The Centre is exploring the benefits of participatory arts about wellness and illness. Many of our audiences have experiences of health conditions, both short term and long term, including mental health, physical injuries, and learning disabilities. Our projects take place in healthcare and community environments, such as paediatrics, oncology, cardiology, palliative care, and community settings, with a special interest in festivals, participatory arts events, and prison rehabilitation centres.

We have also researched the role of art galleries and museums in promoting wellbeing; the value of drama workshops for children with communication difficulties, and the benefits of dance for older people with dementia and at risk of falls. The Centre is currently working closely with the Canterbury Cantata Trust, and collaborators internationally, to promote the value of regular singing for people with Parkinson’s.

In addition to research, the Centre has made important contributions to promoting the field of arts and health nationally and internationally through creating:

the journal Arts & Health
the Oxford University Press Textbook for Creative Arts, Health and Wellbeing
the Royal Society for Public Health, Special Interest Group for Arts, Health and Wellbeing
a web Repository for Arts and Health Resources.

The Centre is also leading in the creation of a new arts and health network across the Cathedrals Group of universities in the UK.

The Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health is committed to researching the potential value of applied participatory arts such as theatre, storytelling, music, singing, movement, puppetry, and digital arts in the promotion of wellbeing and health of different diverse groups/individuals in mental health communities, children, and young people.

Core funding support for the Centre’s work has been generously provided by the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, and by the Oak Foundation. Further funding for specific projects has come from a variety of sources, including:

The National Institute for Health Research
Dunhill Medical Trust
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charity
Wellcome Trust
local NHS Trusts in Kent.

Who was Sidney de Haan?

The Centre was founded in 2005 and named in memory of Sidney De Haan, founder of the Saga group of companies. Towards the end of his life, Sidney was diagnosed with vascular dementia. His family noticed that attending concerts and music events had a positive effect on Sidney’s wellbeing and, as a result, his son Roger De Haan was keen to support initiatives that explored the positive benefits of music and the arts for wellbeing. An approach to him from Grenville Hancox and Stephen Clift, led to the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust providing generous core funding for the Centre until 2012.