Why the Arts Matter for Wellbeing

We live in a world of incessant stimulation, where screens, schedules, and everyday pressures constantly compete for our attention.

In this environment, the arts all too often slip into the background. Creativity becomes something extra—something to do only if there’s time, after everything else on the to-do list is complete.

Yet emerging research challenges us to reconsider this way of thinking. What if the arts are not a luxury, but a necessity? Not something separate from our wellbeing, but something central to supporting it across our entire lifetime? 

It’s easy to see why the arts are often treated as a ‘nice-to-have.’ With so many demands on our time, activities that are deemed more essential—like core school subjects or sports—often take priority.

But research suggests this way of thinking misses the bigger picture. Engaging in the arts supports many of the same outcomes we value at school and at home, from emotional wellbeing and resilience to social connection (Fancourt & Finn, 2019). Far from being an extra, the arts play a direct role in building these important skills.

When people hear “the arts” they may think of galleries, concerts, and the theatre. While they wouldn’t be incorrect in doing so, art in its many forms extends well beyond these spaces.

In reality, “the arts” refers to a broad range of human practices that have existed in every human culture since the Stone Age. Today, however, that could look like sketching a picture, kapa haka performances, writing a song, arranging flowers, or even baking a cake.

What these activities share are common elements: creativity, sensory engagement, emotional expression, movement, and social interaction.

Research into the relationship between arts engagement and health has grown significantly over the past two decades. A major World Health Organization review of over 3,000 studies found that the arts play a meaningful role in promoting wellbeing, preventing ill health, and supporting treatment across the lifespan (Fancourt & Finn, 2019).

One of the authors of said review, Dr Daisy Fancourt, has proposed that the arts be considered a “fifth pillar” of health, alongside sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and time in nature. She has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers which reveal some fascinating findings.

With regard to our physical health, she found engagement in the arts has been associated with increased longevity and a reduced risk of chronic pain in later life, with effects comparable to undertaking regular exercise (Fancourt & Steptoe, 2018).

In terms of mental health, one study found that people who engaged in cultural activities (like visiting museums, going to the theatre, or heading to the cinema) once a month or more had nearly half the risk of developing depression compared to those who didn’t. Importantly, this wasn’t just because of income, lifestyle, or other health behaviours. The effect remained even when those factors were accounted for (Fancourt & Tymoszuk, 2019).

There was also evidence of a “dose-response” relationship, meaning that the more regularly people engaged in the arts, the greater the benefits!

As Dr Fancourt puts it: “If the arts were a pill, we’d be taking it every day.”

New Zealand-based research reinforces these findings. A report from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage, drawing on the Growing Up in New Zealand study, found that young people who regularly participate in arts, cultural, and recreational activities experience stronger overall wellbeing. This includes better health outcomes, stronger relationships, increased school engagement, and a greater sense of cultural identity (Tait et al., 2025).

The variety and number of activities young people engage in matters. Young people involved in five or more extracurricular activities (like sport practice, music lessons, or kapa haka) had the strongest wellbeing outcomes. Similar benefits were seen among children who regularly took part in at least four regular free-time activities (like drawing or playing outdoors) (Tait et al., 2025).

Importantly, the research also highlights the role of ngā toi Māori (Māori arts and cultural activities) like kapa haka, raranga (weaving), waka ama, and mau rakau. The research shows that young people (across all demographics) who engage more frequently with ngā toi Māori show higher overall wellbeing. Their engagement was linked to stronger peer relationships, greater school engagement, and a deeper sense of cultural identity (Tait et al., 2025).

However, despite these numerous benefits, access to the arts is not equal. Barriers such as cost, availability, and curriculum constraints can limit opportunities, reinforcing the importance of maintaining accessible pathways for creative engagement. 

A key takeaway for everyone is that the benefits of the arts are not dependent on skill level. People do not need to be “talented” to reap the benefits—the value lies simply in participating.

Research does, however, suggest that the benefits are strongest when the activity feels more meaningful or enjoyable to the individual (Fancourt & Finn, 2019).

This highlights the importance of accessibility to a range of art forms, so everyone (particularly rangatahi) can explore and discover what resonates with them! 

There are practical ways to support arts engagement across different settings:

• Encourage creative hobbies and exploration
• Provide time for unstructured creative play
• Emphasise enjoyment and process over outcomes

• Integrate creativity across subject areas
• Support experimentation and student voice
• Recognise the arts as contributing to broader learning and wellbeing
• Offer your time and expertise in arts fields to broaden the range of choices on offer for students (e.g., volunteer to support existing arts, teach an instrument, run or supervise an arts afternoon)

• Support accessible and affordable programmes
• Encourage participation across all age groups

Even small, regular opportunities for creative engagement can contribute meaningfully towards our wellbeing over time.

Yet, too often the arts are the first to be cut when budgets tighten, whether in schools, universities, or wider public funding. This tendency raises an important question: if the arts contribute so significantly to wellbeing, why are they often the first to be cut?

For educators and parents, this is an opportunity, and a responsibility, to prioritise and make space for creativity in everyday life, ensuring that young people and communities can benefit from all that the arts have to offer. To quote Robin Williams in one of my favourite movies, The Dead Poet’s Society: “We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

Siôn Davies

Creative New Zealand. (2023). New Zealanders and the Arts Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi. [Data Set].

Fancourt, D., & Finn, S. (2019). What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/329834

Fancourt, D., & Steptoe, A. (2018). Physical and Psychosocial Factors in the Prevention of Chronic Pain in Older Age. The journal of pain, 19(12), 1385–1391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2018.06.001

Fancourt, D., & Tymoszuk, U. (2019). Cultural engagement and incident depression in older adults: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 214(4), 225–229. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.267

Tait, J., Redman, K., Patrakova, N., Wang, Y., Meissel, K., Abraham, H., Fenaughty, J. & Evans, R. J. (2025). Arts, Culture and Recreation Participation and Wellbeing amongst 12-Year-Olds in the Growing Up in New Zealand Cohort [Manatū Taonga Bespoke Report]. Auckland. ISBN 978-0-478-18491-4

World Health Organization. (2022). Arts and health: Supporting the mental well-being of forcibly displaced people. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/librariesprovider2/country-sites/who_arts-and-health---forcibly-displaced-people-(final).pdf