ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to introduce the reader to current research and practice on art and arts-based research approaches in the study of Cultural Ecosystem Services. We identify three different strands in the application of the arts in this context, based on intention (art as a communication tool, art as a research method, and art to promote engagement with CES), but also note that this distinction is somewhat artificial. The first part of the chapter focuses on ways in which artists have explored CES through their creative practice and how the public has been engaged in this process through participatory art. The second part of the chapter looks at art as a research method, illustrated with examples of emerging techniques such as photovoice. The third part of the chapter examines the integration of artistic and creative endeavours to enhance awareness of, and access to CES, in particular concerning the potential health and wellbeing benefits of CES. In practice, the lines between these different strands can be blurry, as illustrated in our case study which describes the practice of body-mapping to understand and express eco-emotions and to explore embeddedness in a local ecosystem.
