p_ART_icipate! is an AHRC-funded research project on the effect of participatory online art on social connectedness. Led by the University of Greenwich, CNWL NHS Foundation Trust and Brunel University, p_ART_icipate investigates the potential for participatory art to promote and foster social inclusion, social connectedness and wellbeing for the public remotely. Based on existing practice-based research on the impact of immersive, collaborative art engagements, this research project is anchored in a wider discourse around the cultural and societal impact of participatory arts within the Arts and Humanities.

We are facing an urgent need to mitigate health and societal implications such as social isolation, loneliness and sensory deprivation. This research examines how innovative art and technology can encourage social connectedness online, through collaborative, multi-sensory art strategies. p_ART_icipate! offers immediate use cases for participatory arts in a public health context, resulting in guidelines for artistic practitioners and healthcare professionals. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of collaborative online digital art interventions to help individuals affected by social isolation, whether in a private or professional context.

You can find out more about ideas and theories that underpin the project, by reading some of
our published research. Likewise, more info on the core research team can be found here.