Opportunities for public health engagement with citizens in neighbourhood art spaces: the modern agora

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the relationship between cultural provision and population-health benefits, and advocates for intersectoral approaches combining the arts, social care, and public-health policy [Citation1]. After reviewing initiatives from diverse government areas, Dow et al. argue that policy development is most promising when health and arts ministries collaborate [Citation2]. Redistributing the responsibility for public health across different sectors and supporting citizens’ emotional and social wellbeing through cultural provision may be an important way for governments to leverage the opportunities that arts can offer to public health. Yet, as Dow et al. also highlight, policy documents may not reflect innovative arts and health initiatives, particularly grassroots projects that may have little involvement from policy makers