Jameel Arts & Health Lab and Scottish Ballet launch Healing Arts Scotland 2024

The Jameel Arts & Health Lab and Scottish Ballet today announced that Healing Arts Scotland, a week-long, nationwide initiative highlighting and advocating for the impact of the arts on health, begins in Edinburgh on Monday, 19 August, with an opening ceremony outside the Scottish Parliament, during the Edinburgh International Festival.

Produced together with a national coalition of organisations across culture, science, health, education and government, Healing Arts Scotland also comprises a conference on the healing effects of the arts as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, a wellbeing concert in Glasgow and a series of special events in Aberdeen, Orkney, Lewis and at Dumfries House, home of The King's Foundation.

With two days of speakers and panel discussions, the Healing Arts Scotland Conference will take place in Edinburgh from 19–20 August 2024 and in Glasgow on 21 August 2024, featuring Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Gregor Smith, as well as leading international arts health figures, including Christopher Bailey, a founding co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and the first-ever arts and health lead at the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Part of the global Healing Arts campaign created by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the WHO, Healing Arts Scotland will feature events across the country, including 'Cancer Tapestry,' a tapestry featuring 100 cancer stories from around Scotland; 'Small Town Boy,' an exhibition and rave marking the 40^th anniversary of the LGBTQ+ anthem; and 'Storywalk,' an event in the Cairngorms aimed at ‘re-storying’ the land with folktales and lore.  

WHO arts & health lead and co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, Christopher Bailey said: “Many cities around the world have taken part in our series of Healing Arts activations, but I am excited to see Scotland taking a truly national approach. Scotland’s unique sense of community, its embrace of all art forms, and its commitment to health for all promise to be an exciting combination. I can’t wait to participate and see what the communities come up with.”  

Scottish chief medical officer, Sir Gregor Smith said: “The links between the arts and health are long established, not only in creating the environment for good health to flourish, but in supporting people with long term conditions. Scottish Ballet are leading exponents of this approach and I am immensely proud to be attending and supporting Healing Arts Scotland Week to learn more about how we can make the most of this fantastic opportunity to improve people’s health and wellbeing.”

Edinburgh International Festival CEO Francesca Hegyi said: “The Edinburgh International Festival is proud to be part of the first ever nationwide Healing Arts campaign in Scotland. This is an important dialogue to help address health inequalities across the country and we look forward to facilitating those conversations throughout August.”