Mental health via cultural citizenship

Arts can make an important contribution to the social inclusion of marginalised groups such as those with mental health problems. In this article three different voices ‐ those of the arts project user and artist, the project manager and artist, and the academic ‐ explain from their varying perspectives what this contribution may be, and how it operates. By enabling cultural citizenship, the arts provide a means for people who would otherwise remain on the margins of their communities to participate in public life and inhabit mainstream social spaces.