“When we engage in the arts, it exposes us to a lot of emotions, which can have a tangible impact on the neurotransmitters released in our brains, the stress hormones in our bodies, and even the levels of inflammation in our immune system,” says Daisy Fancourt.
Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at University College London where she heads the Social Biobehavioural Research Group, and serves as the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health. She is one of the most highly cited scientists in the world, having published 300 scientific papers and won over two dozen academic prizes. She is a multi-award-winning science communicator and has been named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and BBC New Generation Thinker.
00:00 - Art as the fifth pillar of health
01:21 - The benefits of arts engagement
08:10 - Your daily & weekly arts prescription
09:35 - Why attention is the key ingredient
11:12 - Visual vs. audio art
14:56 - Making the most of a museum visit
18:11 - Art for stress & mood regulation
19:09 - Using art to wind down
21:04 - Art & the brain
27:44 - Prescribing art for anxiety & depression
32:08 - Reconnecting with childhood creativity
34:14 - Finding art in the every day
36:45 - Biological evidence of art’s impact
40:14 - Art for joy & exercise
44:54 - The creative commute
Referenced in the episode:
Greece’s art program for mental health: https://artonprescription.gr/en/
For more about Fancourt & her research, visit: https://sbbresearch.org/
Buy Fancourt’s book here: https://a.co/d/03ypycB7
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