A recording of the recent Cambridge Public Health seminar on Creative Public Health is now available to watch online.
Held in March 2026, the seminar introduced Creative Public Health as an emerging cross-disciplinary field at the intersection of participatory arts, museums, hospital arts, critical practice and research in action.
Drawing on examples from healthcare settings, cultural institutions and academic research, speakers explored how creative practices can act as active ingredients in improving health and wellbeing. The discussion highlighted the principles that inform this work and reflected on the growing role of creative approaches within public health research and practice.
The session also considered how creativity can be harnessed not only as a means of expression, but as a powerful tool for addressing health inequalities and supporting more equitable, healthier communities.
Speakers
Dr Emily Bradfield – Practitioner Research Associate: Collections & Wellbeing (Older Adults), The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Natalie Ellis – Head of Arts, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Rachel Marsden – Research Fellow in Creative Public Health, NIHR SPHR Transdisciplinary Fellowship, PHRESH (Public Health RESearch for Health) Consortium, University of Birmingham & Keele University
Dr Elena Cologni – Associate Professor of Contemporary Art & Critical Practice, Cambridge School of Art and Course Director, MA Art Health and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University