There are plenty of reasons to make time for culture, but according to new research from UCL, it could also be one of the best things you do for your wellbeing.

A recent study found that people who engage with arts and culture at least once a week age more slowly biologically, with the impact comparable to adding an extra weekly workout. 

So it was good timing that last week, we brought together an incredible group of marketing and communications leaders for a private, out-of-hours tour of the National Gallery focused on women in art.

The evening explored Virgins, Vixens, Venus and the visibility of women throughout art history – not only as subjects and muses, but as artists themselves. However, one statistic was particularly striking, despite housing more than 2,300 paintings, the National Gallery has just 27 works by women artists in its collection. 

That imbalance formed an important backdrop to the evening’s discussions. The tour highlighted both the extraordinary work of female artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi and Judith Leyster, who overcame barriers to create important works of art, as well as the ways women have been represented, framed and interpreted through predominantly male perspectives.

What made the evening particularly special was the opportunity to experience such an iconic cultural space after hours. Exploring the collection in a quieter, more intimate setting, with the enthusiasm of a passionate expert to guide us along, just wowed us all. 

At Vested, we spend much of our time thinking about narratives: how industries shape them, who gets represented within them and what it takes to challenge established norms. The evening felt like a powerful reminder that these conversations are not new, they have existed for centuries across art, culture and society.

From our experience last week culture does offer something uniquely restorative. In a world shaped by constant noise, there is something powerful about slowing down long enough to really look.