The role of First Nations’ music as a determinant of health

First Nations' People's well-being is a national priority. This project aims to identify the ways that First Nations' musicians and music facilitators can help address negative health determinants such as racism, social exclusion, and poor mental health. The project supports national and international calls for new First Nations-led, strengths-based, and culturally safe health and well-being responses. It creates new knowledge by identifying the health determinants that affect First Nations' musicians and communities and the ways that musicians might in turn influence powerful health determinants for others. The project helps us to better understand, and potentially influence, the interactions between music and First Nations' health and well-being at national and international levels. It will provide new understandings of the ways that Australia can draw on existing First Nations' strengths in arts and health to address dramatic health inequalities between First Nations' Peoples and others. If successful, the research will place Australia at the forefront of international arts-health policy and practice.