Delegates from across the world will unite in Scotland from 15 – 19 June for a weeklong celebration of the role of arts in improving health and wellbeing.
The second iteration of Healing Arts Scotland will include flagship days in Shetland, Lewis & Harris, Dumfries & Galloway, Glasgow and a National Conference in Edinburgh, alongside creative health community activities across the country.
Tickets are on sale now, find your nearest event and book here.
Building on the success of 2024, which included 376 events across Scotland and influenced national policy, Healing Arts Scotland 2026 will include an international conference, artist commissions, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and an artist-led communications campaign promoting the arts as a ‘health behavior’, much like exercise, sleep and good nutrition.
Speakers and delegates from across the globe including Singapore, Japan, USA, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Ukraine will gather to share their research and findings of the lasting health benefits the arts, with a focus on three key themes:
1. Arts, Health and Environment: the role of the arts to support community engagement with nature and address the health impacts of climate change.
2. Innovation in Arts & Health: Arts-based health interventions created using innovation and technology to improve lives and build communities
3. Arts & Health Across the Life Stages: National programs featuring intergenerational activities, prevention & youth led initiatives
This national event coincides with the 2026 release of Professor Daisy Fancourt’s best-selling book Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transforms our Health; the publication in May of a landmark report from University College London linking engagement in arts with a slower pace of ageing; and the pre-launch of a UK Arts & Health: The Time is Now policy brief by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and National Centre for Creative Health.
Speakers at the event will include Assistant Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Program, Larissa Trinder; inaugural People’s Artist of New York City, Yazmany Arboleda; Chief Officer, Public Health Scotland, Manira Ahmed; Director of Research initiatives for the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, Dr. Jill Sonke; Edinburgh International Festival Director, Nicola Benedetti; Jameel Arts & Health Lab Co-Directors, Dr. Nils Fietje (WHO Europe), Dr. Nisha Sajnani (NYU Steinhardt) and Stephen Stapleton (CULTRUNNERS); and Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Sir Gregor Smith, whose annual Realistic Medicine Conference will close the week with a focus on the impact of arts in healthcare settings.
Nicola Benedetti, who was recently appointed the first Global Ambassador for Healing Arts, commented: “Through my work with the Edinburgh International Festival, I see every day the profound role that artistic experiences can play in bringing people together, opening space for reflection and fostering a sense of belonging.
“To contribute to this global “Healing Arts” conversation is a responsibility we all share, to ensure that creativity in all its forms, is recognised as an essential part of a healthier, more connected society.”
Healing Arts Scotland is part of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s global Healing Arts campaign, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, and spearheaded by a coalition of organizations bridging culture, healthcare, education and policy, including Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, Creative Scotland, National Galleries Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Arts Culture Health & Wellbeing Scotland, International Teaching Artists Collaborative (ITAC) and NHS Scotland. Core funding has been provided by Creative Scotland and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, with in-kind support from partners across Scotland.
Dr. Nils Fietje from WHO Regional Office for Europe commented: “It is wonderful to see colleagues from across the Scottish Government and the health and culture sectors uniting to bring the healing power of the arts to wider communities than ever before.
“Scotland is a vibrant place for arts and health that is constantly inspiring new initiatives across the world.”
