From 8 to 12 December 2025, Singapore will host Healing Arts Singapore, Asia's first national-level arts and health initiative-marking a major step forward in advancing regional conversations on arts and health.
The Singapore edition of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab's global Healing Arts campaign in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO)-which has seen iterations in New York, Paris and other major cities-is jointly led by the National University of Singapore (NUS), through the Centre for Music and Health (CMH) at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST); and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore (UAS).
Healing Arts Singapore will bring together key leaders from research, healthcare, the arts and policy to engage in a week-long programme across Singapore's leading institutions-including National Gallery Singapore, NUS, and NAFA, UAS-to discuss how the arts can be embedded within healthcare and community systems through evidence-based and scalable interventions to improve wellbeing and inspire systemic change.
The programme will feature 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; and an opening concert with YST student musicians, local artists Azariah Tan, Chen Zhangyi and The TENG Ensemble, and community organisations Arts Fission and Beautiful Mind Charity.
Serving as Guest-of-Honour for the Welcome Address at NUS will be Mr Baey Yam Keng, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Transport.
New key platforms and resources for arts and health in the region
Healing Arts Singapore will kick off with the appointment of Asia's first 'Healing Arts Centre of Excellence' at National Gallery Singapore.
"National Gallery Singapore will be accredited by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with WHO to exemplify the role of cultural institutions and artists as vital partners in public health," explained Stephen Stapleton, Co-Director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and CEO of CULTURUNNERS. "It is the first museum to receive this accreditation, joining prestigious cultural institutions including Carnegie Hall and the Scottish Ballet."
The Jameel Arts & Health Lab and NAFA, UAS will also co-host the regional launch of the first instalment of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab-Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts-a collection of 32 visual essays exploring the intersection of the arts and health through the lenses of research, engagement and expression.
First unveiled at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week 2025 in New York, this series aims to showcase the arts in diverse health settings, and demonstrate how the arts contribute to mental, physical and social health.
"Bringing the Jameel Arts & Health Lab-Lancet Global Series to Singapore highlights how visual arts offer global perspectives on health," said Dr Michael Tan, Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange at NAFA, UAS. "Showcasing the arts in diverse settings demonstrates their role in fostering resilience, emotional engagement and social cohesion-key factors in achieving holistic health as defined by the WHO."
For WHO, the collaboration brings together WHO's Regional Offices for Europe and the Western Pacific Regions, demonstrating the universality of the link between arts and health across diverse geographies and sociocultural contexts. It also indicates WHO's role in curating a range of innovative approaches that seek to strengthen the ability of governments and civil society stakeholders to achieve WHO's vision and mandate of 'Health for All'.
Launch of the THRivE Toolkit for arts and heritage practitioners
Healing Arts Singapore will also mark the launch of the THRivE (Tools for Health Research and Evaluation in arts and heritage) Toolkit-Asia's first comprehensive digital resource to help arts and heritage practitioners evaluate the impact of their programmes on health and wellbeing.
Developed by CMH through more than two years of research, THRivE builds on CMH's earlier Arts and Health Evaluation Toolkit (AHET), offering practical guidelines, use cases and best practices; and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration across the arts, heritage, scientific and clinical settings. This project is supported by the National Heritage Board (NHB) and Tote Board.
"As interest grows in how arts, culture and heritage contribute to healthier and more connected communities, so does the need for rigorous and consistent evaluation," said Assistant Professor Kat Agres, Director of CMH. "THRivE was developed to address this gap by empowering practitioners and organisations with clear guidance to assess the health and wellbeing outcomes of their arts and heritage programmes in meaningful and reliable ways."
"By offering structured and practical evaluation, THRiVE can support organisations such as Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and Arts Fission in measuring the impact of their arts-in-health and wellbeing programmes more effectively, strengthening future initiatives in the communities they serve."
Growing recognition of the arts in holistic care
Healing Arts Singapore reflects a growing recognition of the arts as an essential aspect of holistic care-supporting mental resilience, social wellbeing and healthier communities.
By convening leading educational and cultural institutions across Singapore, Healing Arts Singapore aims to showcase Singapore's leadership in arts and health and kickstart a wider regional movement across Asia.
"Working together across institutions demonstrates how diverse perspectives and expertise can come together to create shared frameworks that integrate arts and wellbeing," said Dr Tan of NAFA, UAS. "By working collectively, we can amplify the impact of arts in health and ensure its relevance and accessibility across communities."
"Through CMH, we are deepening NUS's commitment to arts and health as both an academic and societal priority," said Asst Prof Agres. "Healing Arts Singapore gives us a platform to strengthen the links between research, education and practice across institutions and build a sustainable, region-wide ecosystem for arts and health."
"Our collaboration with NUS and NAFA, UAS through Healing Arts Singapore demonstrates how strategic cross-sector partnerships can drive real-world change," said Dr Nisha Sajnani, Co-Director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and Professor at New York University. "When universities, cultural institutions and public agencies align their expertise and resources, we can translate evidence into effective arts-based interventions that deliver measurable improvements in health and social wellbeing across communities."
