The University of Manchester, through Creative Manchester, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the “Arts-Based Communication Platform for Co-creation to Build a Convivial Society” at Tokyo University of the Arts and the National Center for Art Research part of the National Museum of Art, Japan.

This notable three-way partnership is centred on creative health and will help to foster a deeper academic and cultural exchange between Japan and the UK in this area of research. It will form the basis for future research collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Greater Manchester (GM) is recognised as a national and world reference for creative health. Building on a long history of arts and health work, GM launched its Creative Health Strategy in 2022, with ambitions for GM to become the world’s first Creative Health City Region. The GM Creative Health Place Partnership continues to support the development and delivery of creative health activity across Greater Manchester.

The agreement will be formally signed in Tokyo on 23 May 2026, following the NCAR Co-Creation Forum Vol.2: Enhancing Wellbeing with Museums ―Place-Based Co-Creation in the UK and Japan, at The National Art Center, Tokyo, where colleagues from The University of Manchester will present on creative health initiatives in Greater Manchester.

Whilst in Tokyo, The University of Manchester and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) colleagues have been invited to speak at the Kyoto University International Social Prescribing Conference (ISPC 2026), alongside academics from TUA and NCAR.

Professor Angelia Wilson, Associate Vice President International, said: “This special partnership with TUA and NCAR will drive forward research excellence in interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange, in the key area of creative health. The meeting in Tokyo next month will lay the foundations for this partnership, which will help us to accelerate the exchange of ideas and co-creation of solutions over the years to come.”