Can Art Actually Heal You? Dr. Daisy Fancourt, Author of Art Cure, Shares the Science Behind Art as Medicine
Art Heals All Wounds
02/26/26
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What if the arts weren't just entertainment — but medicine? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Daisy Fancourt, one of the world's most cited scientists and author of Art Cure, about the growing body of research showing that creative engagement — music, dance, visual art — can reduce the risk of depression, slow dementia, help Parkinson's patients maintain motor function, and even slow biological aging. Daisy also shares personal stories, including her own daughter's recovery in the NICU, and practical tips for incorporating the arts into daily life.
- 00:00 — Intro & Pam's personal story: moving to Arkansas and witnessing the lingering divide of a recently desegregated school
- 01:39 — The music class that changed everything: Mrs. Gilbert and the upright piano
- 02:38 — Introducing today's guest, Dr. Daisy Fancourt
- 04:10 — Interview begins
- 04:47 — Why reading Art Cure kept Pam up at night
- 05:34 — "We are a planet of 8 billion artists" — we are all innately creative
- 06:37 — The "seatbelt moment": when art becomes as automatic as putting on the seatbelt in the car
- 08:01 — The many ways art affects our health: wellbeing, prevention, and treatment
- 09:58 — Daisy's background: from professional pianist to professor at UCL
- 11:41 — Arts on prescription and individual stories from the book
- 12:23 — Josh's story: cerebral palsy, magic camp, and the Magic Circle
- 14:32 — Emily's story: how magic gave a shy girl her voice
- 15:27 — Daisy's personal story: singing to her premature daughter in the NICU
- 18:50 — Dance and Parkinson's disease: what the studies show
- 21:29 — How music affects the brain — and slows aging
- 22:51 — Music, language acquisition, and why we sing to babies
- 26:08 — "Spit Girl": Daisy's PhD in psychoneuroimmunology and saliva research
- 29:09 — Drumming circles and the visceral power of rhythm
- 30:32 — Why your favorite genre is the healthiest music for you
- 33:10 — Elevator music, Muzak, and why grocery store playlists keep you shopping
- 35:12 — Threats to arts funding in the UK and US — and the economic case for the arts
- 37:42 — Practical tips for incorporating art into your daily life
- 39:39 — Why art binges don't work — and what does
- 41:04 — Where to find Art Cure and follow Daisy's research
- 42:24 — Closing thoughts: how arts education broke down barriers in school
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Reach Pam at arthealsallwoundspodcast.com
Previous Episode
Hello everyone!
After a very long hiatus, Art Heals All Wounds is coming back! After a very long hiatus. I was so burned out. And I realized that I wasn’t really practicing what I preach! There was no time for art or creativity in my life.
So, during this pause, I decided to fix that. I joined a writing group. I started going to a drum circles. Then drum classes. There is nothing like drumming with a group to adjust your attitude for the better.
But now the show is back!
This Thursday, February 23rd, I’ll be sharing the first full episode of the season with an interview with Dr. Daisy Fancourt, author of Art Cure.
Doctor Fancourt is a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at the University College London, where she heads the social Biobehavioral research Group. She's also director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, and is listed as one of the most highly cited scientists in the world.
Daisy’s book Art Cure was such an inspiring read for. I hope you’ll Join me this Thursday to hear her talk about it!
In an attempt to not burnout again, I’ll be releasing mini-seasons. About four episodes or so, then a month break. I hope that you’ll stay with the show despite the short seasons and regular breaks. I appreciate your listening more than you can know!
I’m also continuing my break from social media. If you like this show and want to share it with a friend, that will help the podcast continue to grow. If you’d like to reach me, you can always connect with me through my website, arthealsallwoundspodcast.com.
Thanks for listening!
Next Episode
What really drives families to make the dangerous journey to the United States? And what happens to them — especially their children — after surviving detention and family separation at the border?
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gabrielle Oliveira, Jorge Paulo Lemann Associate Professor of Education and Brazil Studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gabrielle's new book, Now We Are Here: Family Migration, Children's Education, and Dreams for a Better Life, documents the lives of 16 families from Central and South America who experienced detention and separation at the US border in 2018 and 2019 — and how they rebuilt their lives afterward.
Gabrielle shares how she spent three years building deep, trust-based relationships with these families, and why that kind of research — done with people, not on them — matters so much. We explore the surprising role that the dream of an American education plays in the decision to migrate, why children process trauma so differently than adults, and what a truly equitable, child-centered classroom might look like.
We also discuss a quietly unforgettable moment: a first-grade morning meeting where two children, asked what they wanted for lunch, spontaneously connected over eating frozen burritos in an immigration detention center — and what that reveals about how trauma lives in children's bodies and memories.
Gabrielle's core message is both simple and urgent: what if we made policy — immigration policy, education policy — by putting all children first?
Now We Are Here is available at your local independent bookstore, on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or directly from Stanford University Press. Find Gabrielle on Instagram and at gabrielleoliveira.com.
[00:00:12] Intro — "Do you believe art can change the world?"
[00:00:48] Pam introduces the topic — migrant family detention and separation at the border
[00:01:48] Introduction of Dr. Gabrielle Oliveira and her book Now We Are Here
[00:04:06] Interview begins — Gabrielle describes her book and the 16 families she documented
[00:05:14] Discussion of research methodology — doing research with people, not on them
[00:08:28] Gabrielle reflects on being an immigrant herself and how trust is built over time
[00:10:04] How the book idea originated and how the research focus evolved
[00:13:57] Education as a driving force behind migration — beyond just fleeing hardship
[00:15:12] Moving past the "suffering subject" narrative — immigrant families and the desire for an ordinary life
[00:19:20] How trauma affects three groups differently — parents, teachers, and children
[00:23:03] The fajita/burrito story — how a first-grade morning meeting unlocked detention memories
[00:28:19] How teachers respond to children's trauma — and why "that's in the past" doesn't work
[00:33:29] Imagining a more equitable, trauma-informed classroom
[00:38:24] The problem with over-structured early childhood education and the loss of play
[00:42:08] Gabrielle's wish list — what she hopes readers take away from the book
[00:45:43] Where to find the book and follow Gabrielle's work
[00:47:06] Pam's closing reflections and outro
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