When assessing the impacts of arts and health projects on those who take part, some conventional evaluation approaches may be lacking if they do not attempt to understand the meaning of arts participation for those involved. Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an approach that places the participant at the centre, as the person who knows best what has happened and what this has meant in terms of their own life.  It can very effective in empowering and engaging participants in an evaluation.  It is undertaken in a reflective cycle that can be deeply embedded within the process of delivering a project itself.