Symposium: Re-Imagining Health through the Arts

Monday 22 September 2025 | 9AM - 5PM NYU Steinhardt

The annual research symposium was presented by NYU Steinhardt as part of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s UN General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week.

Re-Imagining Health through the Arts

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The World Health Organization reminds us that health is not only the absence of illness but the integration of physical, mental, and social well-being—a vision incomplete without the arts. At a moment when empathy, scientific integrity, and human dignity feel increasingly fragile, the arts offer vital nourishment: challenging assumptions, strengthening resilience, and cultivating compassionate, connected communities.

This year’s symposium asked a bold question: What if engaging in the arts were recognized as a health behavior—like sleep, nutrition, exercise, time in nature, and social connection?

Attendees joined cultural and health leaders, researchers, practitioners, artists, and policymakers as we spotlighted the powerful and multifaceted ways the arts and arts therapies foster physical health, mental wellbeing, and civic care.

Explore the full program.

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