There is an undeniable value in the arts across its myriad manifestations. The UK’s Creative Industries bring in over £100 billion to the economy annually, and our artists, performers, museums and galleries are part of our identity as a nation.

The qualitative value of the arts and culture in the UK is immeasurable, and its reach extends, unsurprisingly, into healthcare. The arts has historically established its place in keeping the population healthy and happy. In these times of crisis, it is time to revisit the power of art in supporting our health as individuals. The spread of Covid-19 has pushed the arts into the margins, despite its capacity for good when it comes to public health. The art world thrives on physical connection, so anything that invites close contact, such as museum exhibitions and art galleries, has been limited, if not paused. However, the fruits of this industry can still be utilised to support the population in these trying times, rediscovering the power and the curative good that art can offer in times of need.

As the Director of a communications agency, my interest in the arts through the prism of healthcare is to do with public perception and education. For generations, art, as a medium that enjoys mass exposure, has been used to carry messages. Whether these messages are political, such as Keith Haring’s thought-provoking oeuvre, or fablelike, carrying a moral message like the work of the ephemeral Banksy, art often supports the dissemination of information. In times of crisis, this can be invaluable to protect the health of as many individuals as possible who may not have access to news sources.

A recent example of the use of art to reach larger swathes of populations has come out of Nairobi, Kenya, where over 60 percent of residents live in overcrowded settlements with limited handwashing facilities, little or no access to televisions and radios and massively overcrowded public transport systems. The UN-Habitat has worked with Urban Pathways to commission works of graffiti by local youth and artists to develop visual messaging to help stop the spread of Covid-19, outlining the key actions such as hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks. This is just one example of art-as-healthcare.

Another way art is helping to disseminate news and advice around the pandemic is online. Social networks are the hosts for some of the most ground-breaking, boundary-pushing artwork to be born out of the pandemic. Instagram in particular, as one of the more visual social media platforms, has been key to the vital sharing of government infographics and visuals around public safety, as well as the work of artists reacting to their current environment. A fascinating Instagram account that is supporting some of the artists contributing to this contemporary visual cannon is @CovidArtMuseum, “The World’s first museum for art born during Covid-19 quarantine,” where images from contemporary artists are shared with a diverse, international audience of Instagram users.

Art’s enduring value goes beyond its aesthetic beauty or fiscal importance. Louder and more deftly than any politician, art has and will spread the word about any and all significant events we face as a global population. From the Bayeux Tapestry detailing the events of the Norman conquest to Picasso’s 1937 Guernica, the warnings, messages and morals to be yielded will remain central to the creation of art forever.