Launching the CIRCLE Tool: Supporting Inclusive Cultural Engagement

Our health and well-being can be affected by a range of factors; this is a key principle underpinning social prescribing. Social prescribing involves supporting people with non-medical issues (e.g. loneliness, housing, finances) affecting their health and well-being. Social prescribing link workers are employed to connect individuals to relevant support (e.g. groups, activities, advice services), often in the voluntary-community-social enterprise sector. This includes connecting people to cultural provision (e.g. singing, dancing, volunteering in a museum). Our research has been exploring how to ensure that cultural activities and groups are accessible to a range of individuals, so they can experience the health and well-being benefits associated with such provision.

An overview of the launch event 

On 18th March 2026, the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford hosted the launch of the CIRCLE tool – a practical new resource designed to support meaningful and inclusive engagement in the cultural sector. CIRCLE stands for Cultural Inclusion, Reflection, Collaboration, Learning and Practice Engagement. The event was attended by 25 professionals from across the cultural sector and social prescribing landscape. It provided a collaborative space to explore how cultural activities can support well-being, particularly for diverse communities.

The tool has been developed based on findings from the TOUS study (Tailoring cultural offers with and for diverse older users of social prescribing). The TOUS study explored how cultural offers can be tailored for older adults (60+) from global majority backgrounds as part of social prescribing.  

Presentations

The launch event opened with a series of short presentations from Debra Westlake (University of Oxford), Stephanie Tierney (University of Oxford) and Will Long (Old Fire Station, Oxford). They outlined:

• The background and aims of the TOUS study
• The use of Storytelling as an evaluation method within this study
• Key findings from the TOUS study
• An introduction to the CIRCLE tool

Through the framework underpinning the CIRCLE tool, participants heard about key elements that can support engagement in cultural provision, including:

• The role of a trusted ‘broker’ to connect people to activities or groups
• Creating engaging and relevant cultural offers (‘hooks’)
• Ensuring the right opportunities are available for people to benefit from cultural provision

The tool also highlights what sustains engagement over time – such as building trust, enabling shared power, and creating meaningful experiences. This can lead to:

• Immediate benefits – such as enjoyment or respite from concerns in life
• Intermediate benefits – such as social connections and friendships
• Longer-term benefits – such as people changing how they see themselves (e.g. as creative individuals with agency) and changes in how they are seen by others (e.g. family members)

A participatory and creative experience

The launch was not just about presenting the CIRCLE tool; it was also about participating in cultural activities. Attendees took part in two creative activity sessions run by staff from the Gardens, Libraries and Museums team (University of Oxford). These activities were designed to reflect the principles of the CIRCLE tool and encourage dialogue. One was a slow-looking activity within the museum, led by Beth McDougall. The other was an object-handling session led by Susan Griffiths. These sessions enabled participants to:

• Share their own experiences
• Reflect on inclusive practice
• Exchange ideas across sectors

Looking ahead

The launch at the Pitt Rivers Museum marks an important step in making the CIRCLE tool widely accessible. As a freely available resource, it has the potential to shape how cultural engagement is designed, delivered, and evaluated across the UK and beyond. 

With strong interest from attendees and a clear appetite for collaboration, the event set the tone for ongoing learning and partnership – ensuring that cultural experiences are not only available, but inclusive and meaningful for all.

For more details about the CIRCLE tool, please contact Debra Westlake (debra.westlake@phc.ox.ac.uk) or Stephanie Tierney (stephanie.tierney@phc.ox.ac.uk).

The TOUS study mentioned in this blog was funded by a grant from UK Research and Innovation (MR/Y010000/1). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the funder or the author’s host institution.