Who is Professor Stephen Clift?

Stephen Clift is Professor Emeritus, Canterbury Christ Church University, a Professorial Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), and a former Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health.

With over 40 years’ experience in the fields of health promotion and public health, he has made valuable contributions to research, practice and training on topics such as HIV/AIDS prevention, sex education, international travel and health, and the health promoting school in Europe.

Since the turn of the millennium, Stephen has pursued research in arts and health, and his most cited works centre around the potential value of group singing for health and wellbeing. Stephen has featured in a variety of academic journals: he was a founding editor of the journal Arts & Health: An international journal for research, policy and practice; is a joint editor of the Oxford Textbook of Creative Arts, Health and Wellbeing; and as recently as 2022 co-edited a Health Promotion International journal article titled A chorus of voices: social singing and health promotion, which champions the notion that social singing together can be a powerful unifier in the face of uncertainty and isolation.

Join Stephen for an international overview of recent and current singing for health research initiatives and how the findings might translate into practice. Stephen will also provide a detailed insight into the value of randomised controlled trials for assessing the contribution that group singing has on the health and wellbeing of those affected by mental health challenges, dementia, Parkinson's, long COVID and more.

Stephen’s one-hour ‘New Directions in Singing for Health Research and Practice’ short course runs from 1-2pm on Thursday 22^nd June 2023 and offers a great way to develop your learning and boost your CV.