Global Research on Arts and Cultural Engagement – Advancing Epidemiological Methods (GRACE-Epi)

Introduction

GRACE-Epi is an international research project investigating whether participating in arts and culture supports healthy ageing. Using rigorous scientific methods, the project aims to generate evidence that can directly inform policy and practice. Led by the Social Biobehavioral Research Group and funded by a £3.5M Wellcome Discovery Award, GRACE-Epi is a major new seven-year programme scheduled to launch in January 2026.

Scope 

Epidemiological evidence shows that Arts and Cultural Engagement (ACEng) is a health asset.

GRACE-Epi will strengthen this evidence with robust, innovative methods, deepening our understanding of how culture supports aged-related health outcomes (e.g. frailty, cognition, loneliness), and whether these benefits are universally observed across countries and cultural settings. 

Longitudinal evidence shows attending cultural events every few months lowers depression risk by 48%, even after adjusting for key confounders, highlighting ACEng’s public health potential.

Current research on ACEng still faces roadblocks including lack of diversity, insufficient causal methods and limited global perspective, which restricts its impact.

Through this Discovery Award, a consortium of researchers from the Global North and South will bring together expertise from the arts, humanities, social sciences, epidemiology, data science, and molecular biology to radically advance epidemiological research on ACEng.

Insights and Deliverables

Through a series of workshops, GRACE-Epi aims to:

1. Redefine core concepts in arts & health science
2. Expand global data to 50+ countries
3. Conduct the first molecular studies on the biological signatures of arts engagement
4. Establish new ‘first principles’ for arts as a health behavior, and build international research & policy capacity

Bringing together experts from the arts, humanities, social science, epidemiology, data science, and molecular biology, GRACE-Epi will radically advance how we understand the arts as a health behavior, from global data across 50+ countries, to the first ever molecular studies of the biological impact of arts engagement.

Project Team

Our team consists of researchers from the University College London (UCL), Art and Global Health Center Africa, University of Glasgow, Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit (MEIRU), University of Kyoto, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, and the Global South Arts & Health Initiative.

Funding and Support

Funding for this project was provided by the Wellcome Discovery Award. This work is also supported by a Jameel Arts & Health Lab/UCL Global Epidemiology Fellowship.

Categories