657: The science of art as medicine | behavioral scientist Daisy Fancourt

“When we engage in the arts, it exposes us to a lot of emotions, which can have a tangible impact on the neurotransmitters released in our brains, the stress hormones in our bodies, and even the levels of inflammation in our immune system,” says Daisy Fancourt. 

Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at University College London where she heads the Social Biobehavioural Research Group, and serves as the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health. She is one of the most highly cited scientists in the world, having published 300 scientific papers and won over two dozen academic prizes. She is a multi-award-winning science communicator and has been named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and BBC New Generation Thinker. 

00:00 - Art as the fifth pillar of health

01:21 - The benefits of arts engagement

08:10 - Your daily & weekly arts prescription

09:35 - Why attention is the key ingredient

11:12 - Visual vs. audio art

14:56 - Making the most of a museum visit

18:11 - Art for stress & mood regulation

19:09 - Using art to wind down

21:04 - Art & the brain

27:44 - Prescribing art for anxiety & depression

32:08 - Reconnecting with childhood creativity

34:14 - Finding art in the every day

36:45 - Biological evidence of art’s impact

40:14 - Art for joy & exercise

44:54 - The creative commute

Referenced in the episode: 

Greece’s art program for mental health: https://artonprescription.gr/en/  

For more about Fancourt & her research, visit: https://sbbresearch.org/ 

Buy Fancourt’s book here: https://a.co/d/03ypycB7 

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