Bringing a beat to silent surroundings: music, dance and art in prisons

The prison system can often be a draining place where time seems to drag on and there are very few opportunities for peopleto express themselves, so artistic activities are of the utmost importance. Asa universal, physical language capable of reaching across cultural and relationa barriers, art gives inmates opportunities to connect, acknowledge, and think about starting afresh. It opens up meaningful spaces in settings where people are marginalised, stigmatised and isolated.

Art in prison: music and dance to promote physical and mental wellbeing  

The thoughts shared by Michel Foucault in Discipline and Punish help to show that an inherent part in detention is played by forms of discipline that see people’s actions, daily routines and opportunities to interact being strictly supervised. The body is essentially put under control. Introducing artistic activities into these settings provides the scope for temporary relief from the punitive approach. In particular, music and dance provide an opening for the very things that prisons tend to suppress: the body, voice and emotions. Through rhythm, movement and sound, they enable inmates to experience themselves and others in different ways, restoring subjectivity in a setting where it tends to be squashed.

In recent years, more and more studies have highlighted the potential that music and dance have to promote wellbeing and inclusion in custodial environments. It all falls within the scope of broader reflection on the role of culture in welfare systems and the opportunities to include artistic initiatives in rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes. While it is not a replacement for penal policies orhealth and social care services, art helps to create more humane,relationship-based and dignity-oriented environments, providing inmateswith concrete opportunities to brush up their skills and try out new things.

Rediscovering yourself through music

In prisons, wellbeing<spanlang=en-gb style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> – in the sense of amultidimensional experience encompassing positive feelings, satisfaction,perceived meaning and a sense of independence – is seriously compromised.This often leads to the emergence or deterioration of mental healthconditions.

According to the World Health Organization approximately one-third of people in prison in Europe suffer from mental health disorders. A survey of more than 600,000 people held in prisons in 36 countries revealed that mental health disorders are a widespread issue, affecting 32.8% of the prison population.

Separation from family and social networks, the risk of victimisation and difficulty accessing care all have an additional impact on wellbeing, so there is a clear need to complement clinical and therapeutic measures with approaches that can make a difference on the relational and emotional fronts.

The effects of music in prisons  

The most recent literature in this sphere has begun to explore the potential of musical practices when it comes to relationships and the body. They can trigger expression, listening and emotional regulation processes, with positive impacts on the wellbeing of inmates.

A scoping review by Vitalis Im and Rogério M. Pinto (School of Social Work, University of Michigan, USA) that was published in 2023 offers a comprehensive overview of group music-making interventions in carceral settings, including prisons, jails, and immigration detention facilities. The literature involved experiences featuring a range of approaches, including group music therapy, structured programmes inspired by psychological and psychosocial models, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and various musical practices including improvisation, singing, and musical relaxation techniques.

55 articles were analysed for the review, which highlights that a significant amount of the extant literature focuses on the effects of musical practices on intrapersonal measures of well-being. In particular, 38% of the articles concern the effects of music on psychological outcomes, revealing a widespread consensus about the potential of music –through practices such as guided listening, song writing, and music therapy –to increase sociality, the capacity to cope with incarceration, and self-esteem.

The evidence suggests that these practices can aid the development of prosocial skills and connectedness, help to reduce the boredom and stress associated with incarceration, and strengthen the sense of self-validation, while also having a positive impact on regulation of emotions such as anxiety, anger, or depression.

Meanwhile, 41% of the articles highlight the role of music in identity formation, underlining that musical practices provide opportunities to rethink imposed identities, which see people being labelled solely as “prisoners” or “criminals”. In this respect, music is considered not only a form of expression but also a process through which social identities may be actively learned and re-learned.

The articles stress the importance of organising culturally-informed musical interventions that are sensitive to issues such as age, origins and ethnicity, with types of music that are meaningful for participants. Practices like hip-hop and traditional Aboriginal music can be particularly effective at promoting a sense of self and forging collaborative community connections. This all goes to show that focusing on cultural matters is not only a methodological choice, but also an ethical responsibility in artistic initiatives in carceral settings.

The possibilities presented by dance and movement   

Another approach that is extremely well-suited to settings where there is limited scope to express feelings through language is Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT): psychotherapeutic use of movement that unlocks the potential of the relationship between the body and emotional experiences.

A team of researchers from the Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit at the University of Melbourne conducted a literature review that was published in 2025. It shows that dance and movement-based measures can help to improve wellbeing, quality of life and relationships, making a significant impact in carceral settings.

The studies involved both DMT and other forms of dance and similar activities, with a strong emphasis on expression and relationships. The activities were largely led by professionals with specific skills in the fields of dance, DMT or performing arts, or occasionally with backgrounds in areas such as psychology, the arts or sport. The interventions were between 40 and 90 minutes in length, with two sessions a week for a total of six to twelve weeks.

The studies were conducted in a variety of prison settings, from maximum-security prisons and low-security prisons to a high security forensic psychiatric hospital. Although there were differences between the institutions and facilities studied, the approaches were deemed compatible with all settings of this kind, including highly complex andrestrictive ones.

Wellbeing is a universal right: why art in prison matters  

While it is worthwhile continuing to reflect on the many different ways they can be put to good use, we can conclude that the scientific evidence shows artistic practices based on movement and sound have an impact on emotional regulation and stress response processes, helping to reduce the psychological suffering that is particularly widespread in prisons.

These effects can be explained by specific neurobiological mechanisms, involving neurochemical systems linked to dopamine, oxytocin, and β-endorphins. These systems play a key role in modulating stress response, emotional regulation and motivational processes. They aid the adoption of more adaptive coping strategies and have positive effects on mental health, especially in vulnerable situations (Klaperski-van der Wal et al., 2025).

Consequently, interventions involving arts such as music and dance can be considered effective resources. In carceral settings, they can help to reduce health inequalities and support the universal right towellbeing.

By Catterina Seia (Presidente CCW – Cultural Welfare Centre) andElena Rosica ( Cultural Welfare Center (CCW), Research Area)

Further reading:

• Catterina Seia and Marta Reichlin, The power of choralsinging and its impact on health and the community, 30 December 2024. 

• Catterina Seia and Marta Reichlin, Singing has apowerful impact on the neuronal development of premature babies, 24 August 2024.

• Catterina Seia and Marta Reichlin, Dance your anxiety away!, 30 July 2024.

• Catterina Seia and Giancarlo Sciascia, The power of soundpasses into the coma state, 27 June 2024.

• CatterinaSeia, Motherhood. Relieving postpartum depression with song, 29 August 2023.

• CatterinaSeia, Music comes to carehomes for the elderly and the musicians feel better, 14 February 2023.

• Catterina Seia, The power of music. Social therapy, 13 July 2021.