Inside Out: Public Arts and Well-being

Inside Out: Public Arts and Well-being is a knowledge exchange project funded by the British Council Hong Kong. As part of the programme of SPARK Festival Hong Kong, it examines the relationship between the experience of public art and its impact on physical and mental wellbeing in the context of urban environments through open-access workshops and a roundtable discussion.

The project was initiated from CREATURE’s first Public Art Annual Symposium in collaboration with The Line Public Art Walk (2022) by the same title. It embodies the principles of Kühnapfel et al (2025), according to which free access to the arts through public engagement in outdoor activities, and public art programming can foster a renewed sense of belonging in a city, promoting a pedestrian dimension of experiencing public spaces and stimulating a sense of connectedness with a community.

The project asks:

  • What creative strategies may be used in addressing the relationship between public art and wellbeing?
  • What role may education and outreach workshops play in relation to engaging the public with public art and wellbeing?
Jacek Ludwig Scarso at the Inside Out Public Art and Wellbeing, SPARK Festival.

Image: Jacek Ludwig Scarso - Inside Out Public Art and Wellbeing, SPARK Festival, British Counci, Hong Kong

Project details

Research Team

Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso

Team member(s)

Sarah Carrington, The Line
Lorna Powell, The Line
Gordon Lo, Public Art Hong Kong
Rebecca Chuang, Public Art Hong Kong
 

Funder(s)

British Council Hong Kong

Project partner(s)

SPARK Festival Hong Kong

Duration

October 2024

More about the project

  • To examine the value of art in the public sphere and its impact on physical and mental well-being through open-access workshops and a roundtable discussion

  • To deliver two open-access workshops on the experience of public art in relation to wellbeing using tailored creative tasks.

Public-facing outcome(s)

Public outreach

  • Scarso, Jacek Ludwig (2024). Two open access workshops with the general public of SPARK Festival, including university students, artists and wellbeing professionals. Hong Kong: Airside, 18th and 20th Oct.