Jameel Arts & Health Lab's global arts initiative hosted by Singapore

From December 8 to 12, Singapore hosted Healing Arts Singapore, Asia's first national-level arts and health initiative.

- Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

It marks a major step forward in advancing regional conversations on arts and health. The programme featured academic symposia; policy meetings; the appointment of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab's first Healing Arts Centre of Excellence in Asia; the launch of the THRIVE Toolkit and photo essay from the Jameel Arts & Health Lab-Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts; an opening concert with Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST) student musicians, local artists Azariah Tan, Chen Zhangyi and The TENG Ensemble and community organisations Arts Fission and Beautiful Mind Charity, from Singapore.

Launched in January 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO), New York University, Community Jameel and CULTURUNNERS, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global initiative to measurably improve health and well-being through the arts. With a focus on overlooked and under-served communities, the Lab leverages scientific evidence, a global Healing Arts campaign, and capacity building to drive the integration of the arts into mainstream healthcare across 193 UN member states. The Singapore edition of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab's global Healing Arts campaign has seen iterations in New York and Paris, among other major cities. In Singapore, it was jointly led by the National University of Singapore (NUS) through the Centre for Music and Health (CMH) at YST; the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA); and University of the Arts Singapore (UAS).