Our focus

Culture and the arts are at the heart of healthy societies. They help us to make sense of the world around us, to explore and understand our collective and individual identities, and to forge connections between communities. RCSI’s investment in culture and the arts will empower communities and individuals to explore these shared histories and identities by safeguarding, increasing access to, and promoting engagement with our artistic and cultural heritage.

It will also allow us to explore how culture and the arts can be used to enhance quality of life and societal health by fostering inclusive, diverse and sustainable communities.

Societal health and well-being

An expanding body of evidence suggests that integrating creativity and culture into healthcare education can improve overall patient outcomes, leading people to live well for longer. Culture and the arts provide valuable insights into the diversity of human experience.

This helps us to appreciate the cultural and social contexts within which medicine is practiced and through which individual experiences of health and illness might be understood. Creative and cultural participation leads to better interactions between patients and practitioners and the development of well-rounded, empathic future healthcare professionals.  

Our commitment to exploring creative and cultural approaches to societal health and well-being is outlined in the RCSI Engage Strategy 2023-2027 and the RCSI Arts Strategy 2023-2025.