Arts Play Health
Community
We are a volunteer-led community of people interested in exploring the interconnections between arts and play for health and wellbeing. We take broad conceptions of both ‘arts’ and ‘play’ and we welcome anyone interested in these topics to take part in our activities.
Chat Series
We run regular online 'chats' to bring people together in dialogue and shared experience. We usually meet monthly at the end of the month (approx 3.30-5pm BST/GMT) and invite guest facilitators to lead discussions on 'hot' topics. We have no aim but to have an interesting chat!
All are welcome. Join us as an academic, practitioner, artist, arts/play manager or administrator, policymaker and/or interested community member. We usually have a few overarching questions to start the conversation and create space for dialogue and ideas for action. Bring a nice big cuppa as we come together in community.
Next meeting
Join us for our next online meeting on Thursday October 29 2026
6:00pm-7:00pm UK Time
Meet our panel of guest speakers to explore how culture, creativity, and community power can shape equitable Black futures.
As part of Black History Month UK 2026, this international online convening examines how cultural identity, creative practice, and community resilience form essential infrastructure for Black flourishing.
1. Culture & Community as Infrastructure for Black Futures
2. Creative Care for Black Futures: Building Equitable Systems
We’ll spotlight cultural identity, shared memory, creative ecosystems, arts‑based wellbeing, and everyday leadership within Black communities.
Co-produced by Public Health, Arts, Theory and Social Science (PATHS) Research Group, University of Edinburgh, Global South Arts and Health Initiative, Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship.
Get a link to the Zoom meeting by signing up to at our Eventbrite here.
How to join our mailing list
To stay up to date with all of the upcoming events in our network sign up via entering your email here.
We are an international community and welcome people from all over the world to join us. Please note that if you have joined one of our chats before or sign up ahead of the day, we will send you a reminder of the joining details before the session. If you are new to the list, we will aim email you the details before the start time of the session.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Team
/ Dr Laura Wright
Co-Director and Founder, University of Edinburgh
/ Dr Katey Warran
Co-Director and Founder, University of Edinburgh
/ Geraldine Montgomerie
Co-Director, University of Leeds
/ Pat Scrutton
Co-Director, Intergenerational National Network