A SOCIAL GLUE

 
 

Commissioned by the Great Place project in Greater Manchester Combined Authority and authored by Dr Clive Parkinson, A Social Glue sets out how culture and creativity contribute to the health and wellbeing of the people of Greater Manchester and how the time has never been better to champion and expand this agenda.

Building on findings from both Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On (2020), the Report of the Greater Manchester Inequalities Commission (2021) and the report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing: Creative Health (2017) A Social Glue looks to Greater Manchester becoming the world’s first Creative Health City Region, where, by 2024, heritage, culture and the arts will play a key part in the health and wellbeing of its diverse residents and workforce.

Below you'll find the full and summary reports, alongside the Parallel Narratives which expand on some of the work discussed in A Social Glue and provide case-studies of work taking place across the city-region. You'll also find links to accessible formats directly below each document.  We are really grateful to all the individuals, groups and organisations who have contributed to this work. 

We are excited that A Social Glue has influenced the development of the Greater Manchester Creative Health Strategy (2022).

 
 
 
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Greater Manchester is uniquely placed to combine its strengths in advancing the Creative Health and the Marmot agendas. From way back, the area that is now Greater Manchester has pioneered best practice in arts and health initiatives. More recently Greater Manchester has seized the opportunity to pioneer the integration of health and social care services and work proactively to mitigate the damage to health caused by social and economic disadvantage. Combining those two traditions, as A Social Glue proposes, will enable the people of Greater Manchester to enjoy longer lives better lived in a more healthy and health - creating environment.
— Lord Howarth of Newport
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