Healing Arts is a global campaign by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organization

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About

Healing Arts Atlanta  is a celebration of arts and health by Performance Hypothesis and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab. A week of events will showcase how the arts can and have been leveraged by communities and leaders alike to heal racial divides and improve health equity and wellness. Whether it’s strolls through a museum , meditation & music workshops, or publicly accessible research seminars -- every day in Atlanta, impactful events will take place to help improve people’s wellbeing.  

Healing Arts is an initiative by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is part of the Lab's global Healing Arts campaign of city and country-wide activations, events, dialogues, and collaborations designed to socialize arts and health research and drive public engagement for the vital role of the arts in health.

 

Leadership Testimonies

Marcel Foster 2022

Marcel Foster, Founding Co-Director, Performance Hypothesis

“In directing and organizing the many events across the city, I am beyond inspired by the brilliance of arts and health leaders who are uplifting communities and very likely health outcomes through Healing Arts Atlanta programming."

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Representative Kim Schofield, Georgia State House of Representatives - 63rd District

“I am encouraged by the value of how Healing Arts Atlanta harnesses the transformative power of the Arts as a path to healing racial divides, which can improve health, wellness and trauma within many communities. By integrating the Arts into healthcare, I believe we not only enhance well-being, but also use artistic expression to confront historic injustices and address racism as a profound public health crisis, promoting intentional understanding, unity, and empathy.”

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Nisha Sajnani, PhD., RDT-BCT, Professor and Director, Drama Therapy Program; Co-Director, Jameel Arts & Health Lab

“Healing Arts Atlanta is already mobilizing the collaboration and bold creativity we need to reckon with the reality of racism and its impacts on physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and to commit to co-creating a more equitable future.”

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Kama Pierce, Chief Program Officer, National Center for Civil and Human Rights

"The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is excited to partner with Healing Arts Atlanta in their important work to inspire change through the Arts. As a museum and cultural organization, we are committed to partnerships that support our communities. Together, we hope to explore ways to advocate for equality and nurture the changemaker in us all."

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Dr. J. Adrian Tyndall, Dean and EVP of Health Affairs, Morehouse School of Medicine

"With a passion for medicine and the arts as a physician and and classically trained amateur pianist, I am honored to moderate 'Integrating the Arts for Quality Healthcare Experience' panel for Healing Arts Atlanta. This initiative embodies my belief that integrating the arts into healthcare can profoundly enhance patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. Together, we will explore the compelling data that highlights this vital intersection, paving the way for transformative change in our healthcare landscape."

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Hala Moddelmog, President and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center

“The impact of the arts has never been more important than it is now. The challenge young people are facing against mental health is so great, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning in 2021 and another again last year urging us to turn our attention to this growing epidemic and recognize the role we play in supporting youth. That is why an initiative like Healing Arts Atlanta is so vital to our work at the Woodruff Arts Center and to our community. To have professionals and thought leaders from the health field work alongside us in growing the collective understanding of how arts and health go hand in hand gives me hope for the future.”

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Khadijah Ameen, Co-Founder and Director of Policy & Research, BLKHLTH

"As an Atlanta-based non-profit focused on disrupting the pathway between racism and poor health outcomes that Black Atlantans experience, BLKHLTH is committed to identifying innovative strategies to advancing racial health equity in our city. We proudly support the Healing Arts Atlanta initiative in promoting the arts as a creative, strengths-based approach to improving community health and wellbeing."

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Paige Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, The Carter Center

"The Healing Arts Atlanta initiative is perfectly placed to leverage the intersection of Atlanta’s robust public health presence and thriving arts community. The Carter Center’s Mental Health Program and its partners are excited to engage with programs that build on the science behind how the arts can improve the health and well-being of an entire community."

Autumn Smith

Autumn Smith, Historian & Museologist

"Healing Arts Atlanta amplifies the intersection of the arts, particularly fine arts, and combatting racism. Fine arts challenge racism by offering diverse perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices. Through visual art, music, theater, and literature, artists can confront racial stereotypes, highlight injustices, and celebrate cultural diversity. Art fosters empathy and understanding, inviting audiences to see the world through different lenses and question their biases. Healing Arts Atlanta not only enriches cultural conversations but also actively contributes to dismantling systemic racism and promoting inclusivity and equality."

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Beth Michel, Senior Associate Director for the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies at Emory University

“I appreciate Muscogee Nation Department of Health for agreeing to join us in conversation about their distinct efforts to weave healthcare and arts into a healing environment. If you are fortunate to see the visual art that nurtures patients as they enter Council Oak Comprehensive Healthcare, you will quickly realize the storytelling occurs in the space. The Nation's Department of Health and the talented Muscogee artists created a facility that conveys the Healing Arts Atlanta theme.”

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M. Daniele Fallin, PhD, James W. Curran Dean of Public Health with Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University

"Art is an incredible tool to address deep-rooted public health problems, including persistent health equity challenges. Atlanta is at the forefront when it comes to using the arts for promoting healing and dismantling systemic barriers. This is an opportune place and time for this group of leaders to collaborate and craft new solutions for applying the arts to improving multiple facets of health. We are pleased to be a part of this initiative and host Healing Arts Atlanta at the Rollins School of Public Health."

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Everett L. Long, PhD, Principle Researcher, Fors Marsh

"As someone who has witnessed firsthand the power of the arts to heal and transform, I believe that their role in creating lasting social change is more important than ever. Healing Arts Atlanta offers an exciting opportunity to learn about and experience how the arts, social sciences, and policy can work together to address the pressing issue of systemic racism as a public health crisis. It's encouraging to see organizations like Performance Hypothesis is leading the way in expanding the use of evidence-based arts interventions that harness the power of strategic creativity to tackle the root causes of society's biggest challenges."

About Jameel Arts & Health Lab

​​The Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global initiative to measurably improve health and wellbeing through the arts. With a focus on overlooked and underserved communities, the Lab leverages scientific evidence, artist-led advocacy, and capacity building to drive the integration of the arts into mainstream healthcare. The Jameel Arts & Health Lab was launched in January 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, the Steinhardt School at New York University, Community Jameel, and Culturunners. Established to measurably improve health and wellbeing through the arts, it is the first major initiative of its kind to be supported by WHO.