This article is based on the Arts þ Minds research project which
investigated the experience of arts participation for mental health service users in Cork,
Ireland, and the potential of integrating the arts into mental health care. Methods:
Based on the principle of user-controlled definitions of recovery, the voice of service
users was central in this research. The authors used participatory observation methods
and conducted qualitative interviews with project participants (service users, artists and
mental health staff) to explore the impact of arts participation on service users and
service structure and culture. Results: The research demonstrated the transformative
potential of the arts to create environments conducive to recovery through
empowerment, connection-making, confidence-building, hope, story-telling and
story-making. Conclusions: Moving beyond the general agreement on the positive
contribution of the arts in mental health care, this article highlights some of the
challenges of introducing creative forms of engagement and expression in traditional
biomedical settings. It is argued that a meaningful partnership between the arts sector
and mental health services is not just a technical measure but requires a radical shift in
the way we understand, respond to and engage with human distress.