Clive Parkinson - his work lives on
Image Credit: Clive Parkinson, photograph reproduced from cliveparkinson.org/about, accessed 14 July 2026
We were deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of Clive Parkinson who gave so much of his time and skills to the growth and development of the Creative Health movement not only across the Northwest, but nationally and internationally.
Clive was the Director of Arts for Health and Reader in Arts, Health and Social Justice at Manchester Metropolitan University until July 2021. He was the Northwest regional champion for arts and health for the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance from its inception until relatively recently.
He was the author of ‘A Social Glue’, a report for Greater Manchester Combined Authority which examined the role of creativity and culture in improving the health and lives of those living across the city region, which informed The Greater
Manchester Creative Health Strategy (2022) which subsequently led to the premise that Greater Manchester becoming the first Creative Health City in the UK.
Throughout his career he was closely involved with arts and health developments in Europe, Australia and Japan: whilst here in the UK he developed a Manifesto for Arts & Health in 2011, becoming a Director of the National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing (2012-2018) and closely involved in the establishment of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health & Wellbeing.
Clive was a friend and inspiration to many of us working in this sector, and despite living with Multiple Myeloma, an unpleasant bone marrow cancer, he continued to be creative and advocate for social justice.
Clive leaves behind him an incredible legacy, especially as much of his work will be continued by others he not only inspired, but nurtured and empowered by his kindness and creativity.
Clive Parkinson, an incredible pioneer, will be missed by so many in our sector, but today our thoughts are especially with his family, as he leaves behind his life partner Merrill and their three beautiful children.
In 2013 we commissioned Clive Parkinson to write an article for us, ‘A Thriving Arts & Health Practice?’, you can read it here: