Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a critical public health issue, linked to approximately 100 deaths per hour and equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. In the UK, one in ten workers often feel lonely at work, and almost half of the workforce experiences loneliness at work some of the time. The IAS Major Project, Arts Engagement and Mental Health at Work, examines how artistic engagement can foster social connection and support mental health among working adults.
Drawing together colleagues from multiple disciplines and professional backgrounds, the Arts Engagement and Mental Health at Work project shifted the conversation from abstract ideas to lived, collaborative inquiry. We organized a series of targeted knowledge-producing activities, e.g., three core workshops that examined pressing contemporary challenges—from the well-being shaped by music in everyday work, to the role of creativity across the working lifespan, to the relational possibilities opened through collaborative artistic practice. Together, these workshops allowed us to interrogate how arts engagement can meaningfully support connection, belonging, and care in modern workplaces.
The workshop series began with an exploration of music’s role in well-being. This opened conversations about how musical experiences might be drawn upon to promote psychological well-being and resilience at work.
Building on this, the second workshop examined creativity across the working lifespan. Presenters from education and the creative arts underscored how early experiences shape employees’ confidence in engaging creatively and how shared artistic practice can foster a sense of connection. Participants reflected on how creativity might function not as a separate activity but as a meaningful contributor to workplace belonging and identity across different career stages.
The third workshop, led by visual artist Georgia Kotretsos, offered a hands-on approach to creativity as relational practice. Staff in different professional roles across the University paired up to create personalised collage artworks for one another based on their guided exchange. The exercise demonstrated how attentive listening and shared making can cultivate empathy, recognition, and community, providing a vivid example of how creativity can strengthen interpersonal connections in organisational settings.
Across the series, themes of transition, listening, and shared authorship emerged consistently. Participants highlighted the importance of creative practices in helping employees make sense of changes—whether entering new roles, shifting identities, or navigating personal and family-related transitions. Artistic engagement was seen as a way to create shared meaning, encourage openness, and strengthen the social fabric of workplace communities.
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