Healing Arts Singapore marks Asia’s first national arts and health initiative, uniting arts, research and healthcare to improve wellbeing.

Himasha Dissanayake, JadeTimes Staff

H. Dissanayake is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Source Image: Healing Arts Singapore

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, and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), the event is organised in collaboration with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative aims to strengthen regional dialogue on how the arts can enhance public health and community wellbeing through evidence-based approaches.

A National Platform for Research, Policy and Practice

Healing Arts Singapore will bring together leaders from healthcare, the arts, policy and academia for a week-long programme across major institutions including National Gallery Singapore, NUS and NAFA, UAS. Activities will include academic symposia, policy discussions, the launch of new global research resources, and an opening concert featuring YST student musicians, Chen Zhangyi, Azariah Tan, The TENG Ensemble, Arts Fission and Beautiful Mind Charity.

Minister of State Baey Yam Keng will serve as Guest-of-Honour for the Welcome Address at NUS.

First Healing Arts Centre of Excellence in Asia

The event will begin with the accreditation of National Gallery Singapore as Asia’s first Healing Arts Centre of Excellence—the first museum to receive this recognition. The appointment acknowledges the role of cultural institutions as active partners in public health, joining global leaders such as Carnegie Hall and Scottish Ballet.

Additionally, NAFA, UAS and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab will launch the Jameel Arts & Health Lab–Lancet Global Series, a collection of 32 visual essays illustrating how the arts contribute to physical, mental and social health in diverse global settings.

Launch of the THRivE Toolkit

A major highlight is the launch of THRivE (Tools for Health Research and Evaluation in arts and heritage)—Asia’s first digital toolkit designed to help arts and heritage practitioners evaluate the health impact of their programmes. Developed over two years by CMH, the toolkit offers practical frameworks, use cases and best practices to support rigorous and consistent evaluation across arts, culture and heritage programmes.

Advancing Holistic Health Through the Arts

Healing Arts Singapore showcases Singapore’s growing leadership in integrating arts into healthcare and community wellbeing. By fostering cross-sector partnerships among universities, cultural institutions and public agencies, the initiative aims to build a sustainable ecosystem for arts-based interventions across Asia.

Leaders from NUS, NAFA, UAS and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab emphasised the importance of collaboration in translating evidence into real-world impact—helping communities become healthier, more resilient and socially connected.