Reasoning & Evidence
Embedding creative and recreational engagement into the routine operations of libraries, senior centers, housing sites, and other settings can provide sustained opportunities for social interaction, meaning-making, and belonging. When these opportunities are integrated into everyday community environments while remaining open to local adaptation and community leadership, they can support both institutional continuity and grassroots participation. Participatory arts–including community music, theater, dance, visual arts, and storytelling–are particularly powerful when delivered in group formats within institutional settings. Community theater initiatives, for example, have been found to increase confidence, facilitate emotional expression, and strengthen social relationships among participants.(66–67) Group music programs, including instrumental improvisation and drumming, foster emotional synchrony and shared “flow,” which are linked to trust and bonding.(96–97, 68) Similarly, community photography and textile-crafting groups have been associated with a greater sense of belonging and improved social relationships.(98–99) When these activities are embedded within public institutions, rather than offered sporadically, they may function as predictable social touchpoints that build relational continuity over time by bringing people together around shared goals, coordinated participation, and repeated interaction.
Credentialed creative arts therapies (e.g., art therapy, music therapy, drama therapy) add an additional layer of impact, particularly for older adults and individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Group art therapy has been found to reduce loneliness and hopelessness among older adults and adolescents, while museum-based art therapy fosters competency, memory sharing, and group cohesion.(70, 100–102) Art therapy has also been shown to trigger dormant memories and encourage conversation among older adults with cognitive decline, supporting social connectedness through nonverbal expression.(103) Group drama therapy has also been shown to enhance social connectedness, reduce symptoms of depression, and foster a greater sense of meaning in life among older adults and adults in supportive housing.(146, 147) Embedding credentialed creative arts therapies within healthcare systems, adult day programs, and community mental health settings positions them as recognized modalities for social and emotional well-being, complementing the broader relational benefits generated through everyday participatory arts and leisure activities.
Group leisure and recreation systems likewise play a central role. Structured leisure activities–such as sports leagues, walking clubs, and youth programs–are associated with improved social integration, social capital, and mental well-being across the life course.(104-105, 84). Among older adults, participation in recreational sports and fitness groups supports social satisfaction and meaningful peer relationships.(106) Importantly, adaptive sports systems that emphasize belonging, equity, and social spaces reduce isolation among people with disabilities.(107–108) Institutionalizing inclusive leisure within parks, schools, and community centers can help improve equitable access to these social benefits, while also supporting informal networks, peer leadership, and recurring participation that allow relationships to deepen over time. Across these domains, the evidence underscores a consistent principle: accessibility, repetition, and institutional support matter. Leisure activities and arts engagement appear to strengthen social connectedness most effectively when they are inclusive, regularly occurring, and embedded in systems that lower financial, physical, and social barriers.(109, 29)
By incorporating group leisure, participatory arts, and credentialed creative arts therapies into community-serving institutions and public systems, stakeholders can transform creative engagement from a peripheral activity into a core component of community life.
Examples of Community Implementation
Minnesota, USA: Kairos Alive! partners with senior centers, libraries, and care communities to deliver participatory dance, storytelling, and music programs for older adults and caregivers. Sessions are designed for group participation and often include intergenerational components that encourage participants to share memories and build relationships through creative expression.
Illinois, USA: The Chicago Park District operates more than 250 neighborhood parks and recreation centers that host group-based leisure programs, including walking clubs, sports leagues, dance classes, and other social activities. These programs are embedded within local park facilities and run on recurring schedules, enabling residents to participate in shared recreational activities close to home.
New York, USA: Breaking Ground, a nonprofit providing supportive housing and services to thousands of New Yorkers, partners with NYU Drama Therapy to offer weekly drama therapy groups that promote social connection, self-expression, and well-being.
Reference: The SOCIAL Framework Report: Arts, Culture, and Leisure Sectors