“Arts participation can do a very significant thing – it can identify a problem and it can start to address it at the very same time. I can’t think of other interventions that can quite do that – arts have that unique quality. They immediately open up dialogue between all of the stakeholders in a problem within a community as to where a solution and ways forward can be found.” Mike White, Senior Research Fellow in Arts in Health at the Centre for Medical Humanities (CMH) at Durham University.

Restoring the Balance: the effect of arts participation on wellbeing and health (March 2010) is the latest publication from Voluntary Arts England. In addition to a foreword from Minister for Culture and Tourism Margaret Hodge, the publication includes contributions from former Minster for the Arts, Lord Howarth; Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, Kevin Brennan and the Department of Health’s joint lead on arts and health Professor Louis Appleby. Additionally, people from a wide range of backgrounds explain how their wellbeing, their health and, in some cases, their lives have been transformed as a direct result of arts participation. Details of the recently launched Manifesto for Participation in the Arts and Crafts offer a model of best practice, as do links to related reports, research and organisations.

To request a hard copy of Restoring the Balance please send a stamped, self addressed A4 envelope to the value of £1.32 to Voluntary Arts England, PO Box 1056, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE99 1UE. Alternatively you can download a PDF version below

A collection of inspiring and informative case studies from a range of adult learners and tutors highlighting the many benefits associated with participating in the arts and crafts through adult and community learning.

With a foreword from Professor John Benyon (Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Leicester), the publication also contains results from our national survey of adult learners along with information on where to find an art or craft course in your area.

Hard copies are also available. Please send an A5 self addressed envelope (stamped to the value of £0.78) to Voluntary Arts England, PO Box 1056, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1UE.

Inspirational stories of people who started out as volunteers in the arts and now make their living in the arts.


Temporarily out of print, download the PDF (please note this is a large file):

Articipate seeks to raise the profile of the voluntary arts sector and an appreciation of its significance by advocating for its value. It will show how the voluntary arts can contribute to wider public policy objectives while respecting the voluntary nature of people's involvement. It aims to lead to increased participation in the voluntary arts, and increased volunteering.

This is a summary of a report commissioned jointly by Arts Council England East Midlands, Engage East Midlands and Voluntary Arts England. Research was carried out by Garry Churchill, Marie Brennan and Dr Abigail Diamond to investigate the feasibility of a proposed Sector Development Initiative for the voluntary arts in the East Midlands

• Effective Meetings
• Applying to Trust Funds
• How to write a Press Release
• Publicity Explained
• Value and Values in the Voluntary Arts
• For a full list of briefings, and to download them visit our briefings section

VAN Update, a quarterly newsletter, highlights networking opportunities, news of the latest events across the voluntary arts sector, useful publications and websites, and stories from organisations around the UK who want to share their success and help other similar bodies develop.

Update Issue 61, June 2010. Feature article: A leadership debate for the voluntary arts – are you a hidden leader?.

Previous issues are available from the Voluntary Arts Network website:

This is research commissioned by Somerset and Dorset County Councils and Arts Council England in 2004. It shows the extent and the impact of the voluntary arts sector throughout the two counties. Clearly presented in graphs, images, summaries and explanatory text, the document reveals some surprising and inspiring facts and figures.

The document is large so has been broken down into downloadable chunks in PDF format.

This report, a 76 page fully illustrated book, tells the story of the voluntary arts through 14 projects that contribute to social inclusion. The report suggests that the voluntary arts present an extremely cost effective opportunity to take govermnet polocies such as social cohesion and life long learning to socially excluded groups and individuals.

One aim of the research was to provide guidance on the tools and training which may be needed by volunteer led groups to enable them to fulfil their potential as agencies which address social exclusion. Another was to identify existing resources which could be more widely used, or detail the need for new forms of support. As it is a large document we have broken it down into 4 sections for downloading. It is also available in hard copy. Please contact the office on 0191 230 4464 to order:

A report commissioned to look at the state of the voluntary arts in NE England in 2001/2