Arts and health researchers might usefully draw from theories of well-being from positive psychology. Both fields are compatible in that they share an interest in human flourishing and understanding of wellness as more than an absence of dysfunction or disease. Further research is needed to ascertain whether the limited results presented here are representative of other populations. What does seem evident is that arts projects have a broad appeal and can be highly inclusive, accommodating participants with diverse needs. More generally the investigation raises questions about the cultural scaffolds that are in place to support eudaimonic well-being across the lifespan, as well as the consequences of restricting such opportunities for individuals and communities.

While distinguishing between the actions and physical boundaries of self and other (non-self) is usually straightforward there are contexts in which such differentiation is challenging. For example, self–other ambiguity may occur when actions of others are similar or complementary to those of the self. Even in the absence of such situational challenges, individuals experiencing hallucinations have difficulties with this distinction, often experiencing thoughts or actions of self as belonging to other agents. This paper explores the role of ambiguity in self–other differentiation, drawing from developmental, psychodynamic, and neurocognitive perspectives. A key proposal is that engagement in contexts that make distinctions between self and other challenging yet necessary allow reality-testing skills related to agency to develop. Attunement in typical caregiver–infant interactions is framed as a safe but inherently ambiguous environment that provides optimal condition for the infant to develop a coherent self–other sense. Vulnerability to psychosis may be related to limited access to such an environment in early development. However, the perceptual, cognitive, and social skills that contribution to attribution are likely to be malleable following infancy and improve though opportunities for boundary play in similarly ambiguous settings. Using music-making to illustrate, we postulate that engagement in intricate joint-actions that blurs agentic boundaries can contribute to the continued development of an adaptive sense of self and other essential to healthy social functioning. Increased insight into the self–other ambiguity may enhance our understanding of mechanisms underlying “self-disorders” such as schizophrenia and eventually extend the range of social and arts-based therapeutic possibilities.

The role of the artist is crucial to the success of arts for health initiatives yet remains underexplored in the research literature. This article examines the practice of arts facilitation through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). Fourteen interviews with artists leading projects for older adults across three settings were subject to a secondary thematic analysis. A hybrid approach was adopted with themes developed inductively and deductively. Artists were found to satisfy participants' basic psychological needs in diverse ways. Autonomy: artists spoke of valuing the expression of individual differences and identities, encouraging participants to assume ownership of projects. Competence: developing participants' aptitudes and skills and repairing negative self-beliefs emerged as common goals. Relatedness: artists sought to cultivate social interaction within groups and forge relationships with participants themselves. Self-determination theory provides a well-validated framework to conceptualize the psycho-social processes mediating arts project outcomes relating to psychological wellbeing.

In this paper we critically reflect, through the lens of liberation psychology, on our experiences of using participative community arts in work with young people and intergenerational groups in inner-city Manchester, UK. We used mixed methods to examine the impact of and engagement with community arts in two projects. One study was quasi experimental in design and used questionnaires developed by the researchers to compare Higher Education aspirations with levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy, as a result of participating in creative music sessions. The other study was a multi-media action research project, using qualitative methods to explore participant experience and the impact of the activities. Our methods included observations, interviews, the creative products and the creative processes. Through our critical reflections, we examine the role of power and powerlessness in participative arts, as well as ways in which participation had the potential to enable 'conscientisation' which in turn had the potential to lead to self-empowerment and motivation for action. Both projects demonstrated the importance of forming 'communities of practice' with a diverse range of stakeholders in order to gain maximum impact from the projects and move towards a position of collaborative governance. We found that this approach was a useful starting point for facilitating 'collaborative governance' for wider social and political change.

In this paper, we critically reflect, through the lens of liberation psychology, on our experiences of using participative community arts in work with young people and intergenerational groups in inner-city Manchester, UK. We used mixed methods to examine the impact of and engagement with community arts in two projects. One study was quasi experimental in design and used questionnaires developed by the researchers to compare Higher Education aspirations with levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy, as a result of participating in creative music sessions. The other study was a multi-media action research project, using qualitative methods to explore participant experience and the impact of the activities. Our methods included observations, interviews, the creative products and the creative processes. Through our critical reflections, we examine the role of power and powerlessness in participative arts, as well as ways in which participation had the potential to enable 'conscientisation', which in turn had the potential to lead to selfempowerment and motivation for action. Both projects demonstrated the importance of forming 'communities of practice' with a diverse range of stakeholders in order to gain maximum impact from the projects and move towards a position of collaborative governance. We found that this approach was a useful starting point for facilitating 'collaborative governance' for wider social and political change.

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