Healing Arts is a global campaign by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organization
Healing Arts is a global campaign by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organization
As part of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s global outreach campaign in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Healing Arts Scotland (HAS) is a biennial celebration of the role of the arts to improve health and wellbeing.
Launched in partnership with Scottish Ballet in 2024, and co-produced by a national coalition of organisations bridging culture, healthcare, education and policy, the initiative is designed to embed the arts into public health and community well-being across Scotland.
Through collaborative action, Healing Arts Scotland aims to identify and scale evidence-informed pathways to implementation, supporting asset-based frameworks that go beyond the treatment of illness, to addressing prevention in the communities that need it most.
Healing Arts Scotland 2026 is spearheaded by a dedicated HAS Legacy Team working in partnership with Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, Creative Scotland, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
The one-week activation will include a two-day academic conference, a national relay, performances, artist commissions, workshops, exhibitions, and a national media and marketing campaign
Catherine Cassidy is the creator and director of Healing Arts Scotland, developed in partnership with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and organisations across Scotland. With over 25 years of experience using dance across community, health, and education settings, Catherine brings deep expertise to the intersection of arts and wellbeing.
Madeleine McGirk Rutherford is the Founding Managing Director of the International Teaching Artists Collaborative (ITAC), where she has built a global network of over 5,000 participatory artists working across schools and communities worldwide. Drawing on her background in education, theatre, and filmmaking, Madeleine specialises in arts for social transformation, designing creative engagement programmes both within and beyond traditional learning environments
Nancy Riach leads Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland (ACHWS), a national network that connects, advocates for, and supports those working at the intersection of arts, culture, health and wellbeing across Scotland. A specialist in marketing, communications and stakeholder management, Nancy brings over 30 years of experience spanning the full breadth of the arts and culture sector - from grassroots community practice to national companies and international festivals, including Scottish Ballet and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. She also sits on the National Centre for Creative Health Advisory Group, the Healing Arts Scotland Legacy Leadership Group, and the UK & Ireland Arts and Health Networks Forum.
Dr Len McCaffer is currently the Arts Programme Manager (Participation) for NHS Lothian Charity: Tonic Arts. He is also the Chair of Arts Culture Wellbeing Scotland and has been a trustee since 2020. He has a vast experience of facilitating and managing arts projects in community and health settings. For the Tonic programme he has worked in partnership with Edinburgh International Festival, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland and the programme delivers impactful, award winning projects to patients, staff, and visitors. Len has also worked for a local authority and third sector; he holds an MA in Film Production from Edinburgh Napier University and has completed a PhD in theatre and community engagement.
Siobhan McConnachie is Head of Learning & Engagement at the National Galleries of Scotland. During her 11 years at NGS, she has supported the team to develop their work on equity and inclusion with a particular focus on how NGS can support good health and wellbeing. Before this Siobhan was Senior Learning and Outreach Curator at Glasgow Museums and has over 20 years experience of engaging audiences with museums, archives and galleries. Siobhan believes in the power of knowing that we belong in, and have ownership of, cultural spaces and experiences.
Callum Madge is Access Manager at the Edinburgh International Festival, a role he has held since 2023. Prior to this, he spent nearly seven years as Engagement & Office Manager at Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, and previously worked as Creative Administrator at Lung Ha Theatre Company — bringing over a decade of experience across access, engagement, and inclusive arts practice in Scotland.
Tejesh is Chief Executive at Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS) and is passionate about creating equity within society. He is an experienced senior leader within the charity sector having developed and led national services that provide support to marginalised communities. His career has been focussed around utilising the power of the nature, social connection and physical activity in roles with Cycling UK, Royal Voluntary Service and Venture Trust. Tejesh holds positions on a wide range of public health policy advisory Boards that focus on health inequalities and also serves as a Member of the Board at Sport Scotland. He was proud to be part of the inaugural Impetus Leadership Academy designed to support talented ethnic minority leaders and is a great advocate for volunteering and community participation developing his experience through international youth work before committing his time to supporting other organisations as a mentor, Trustee, community helper and fundraiser.
Jackie has spent over two decades working at the intersection of arts and health. She is currently Strategic Arts and Health Coordinator within the Health Improvement and Public Health Directorate at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, a role she has held since 2008, where she serves as arts and health topic leader within the Acute Health Improvement and Equalities Team. Earlier in her career she was Arts & Health Training Development Manager at Stratford Circus Live Arts Venue in East London and Module Leader in Arts and Health at the University of East London's School of Social Science, Media and Cultural Studies — bringing a career spanning clinical settings, academic institutions, and participatory arts practice.
Lisa Sinclair is Scottish Ballet’s Senior Dance Health Manager, leading Scottish Ballet’s dance health programme which supports the wellbeing of health professionals and people living with dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and long Covid. Lisa trained professionally at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and worked for many years as a dance artist in professional, education and community settings before studying Arts and Cultural management. She worked with Barrowland Ballet as Company Manager before joining Scottish Ballet in 2012. She was a non-executive board member for The Hidden Gardens 2015-2018 and a mentor on the Federation of Scottish Theatre Step-Up Mentorship programme. Lisa has been connected to the field of Dance for Health since 2015, taking up her position with SB’s specialist dance health team in 2018. Lisa sits on the SB Health Steering Committee and is a founding member of the SB Health Research Committee.
SCOTTISH BALLET – HEALING ARTS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
As Europe’s first Healing Arts Centre of Excellence, Scottish Ballet will play a key role in Healing Arts Scotland 2026. Joining world-class cultural institutions, Carnegie Hall and the National Gallery of Singapore, it will be supported as an international beacon for arts and health innovation and impact across research, practice and policy.
"The breadth of work highlighted the significant role of arts and culture in promoting wellbeing and positive health outcomes. It is events like this that support the shared learning and collaboration required for the Scottish Government’s ambition to harness the transformative potential of culture for communities across Scotland and beyond."
"Healing Arts Scotland 2024 was an inspirational week-long celebration of the huge impact the arts has on the nation’s health and wellbeing. Scottish Ballet is proud to have led on this global outreach project in collaboration with the WHO and a host of partner organisations throughout Scotland."
“Healing Arts Scotland demonstrates how the arts might help us reimagine our national model of health and social care in a way that can measurably impact communities, celebrating how the arts can create skylights of hope and joy for those people who need it the most.”
The Jameel Arts & Health Lab, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), is a global initiative leveraging scientific evidence, artist-led advocacy, and a global Healing Arts campaign to drive the integration of the arts in clinical and public health. The Lab was co-founded by WHO Regional Office for Europe, NYU Steinhardt, Community Jameel and Culturunners.
