A ‘homecoming’ for arts in mental health

This article considers how participatory arts programmes within mental health services can contribute to the challenging agenda of improving both individuals' well‐being and helping a community to flourish. Health services and other statutory bodies supporting this work, however, need to understand the potential of the arts to be a transformational force and not just an instrumental tool for therapeutic diversion. Patient demand for creative activity as an integral part of care plans can help this pioneering field of arts practice to develop influentially within mainstream services, however, we need to think beyond an individual therapy model to one of social integration in which everyone can feel ‘at home’.