About this Event
On Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday, this symposium opens the Healing Arts Singapore week with a focus on research, practice, and policy at the intersection of arts, health, and wellbeing. It brings together leaders from research, healthcare, arts and culture, and government to explore how the arts can strengthen wellbeing, reimagine care, and inspire systemic change. Through dialogues, presentations, and workshops, participants will engage with emerging evidence, innovations, and collaborations that link arts participation with healthy ageing, youth mental health, and inclusive communities. The discussions will also spotlight growing efforts to integrate the arts into healthcare and community systems through social prescribing. The NUS symposium culminates with the launch of the THRivE (Tools for Health Research and Evaluation in arts and heritage) toolkit — Asia’s first freely available e-book supporting more rigorous evaluation in arts, heritage and health — followed by a celebratory THRivE reception with live music and canapés.
See more at https://www.healingartssingapore.org/events/nus-symposium
Agenda
🕑: 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel: Arts for Youth Mental Health (co-hosted with Institute of Mental Health
Info: Youth mental health is an increasingly pressing issue, and creative arts programmes or interventions can offer engaging and effective ways to support the wellbeing of young people. In a panel session co-hosted with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Prof Daniel Fung, Ms. Fontane Liang, Ms. Sandra Cheah and Ms. Jane Goh to discuss how arts-based interventions or programmes can foster mental wellness in youths. This session will also feature a discussion of the forthcoming World Health Organisation (WHO) Policy Brief on ‘The Role of the Arts in Supporting Youth Mental Health.’ This segment will be presented by two co-directors of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, Dr. Nils Fietje (Technical Officer, WHO Regional Office for Europe) and Dr. Nisha Sajnani (Professor, New York University).
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch Break
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Creative Arts Therapy Workshop by The Red Pencil Singapore
Info: Join The Red Pencil (Singapore) for an experiential art therapy session to discover how creative expression supports emotional well-being. The session includes an introduction to The Red Pencil, an overview of art therapy, stories of how art therapy has helped youths and other communities, and two guided art activities (no art experience needed!) done comfortably at your seat.
The Red Pencil (Singapore) is an Institution of Public Character and a registered
charity founded in Singapore in 2011 with a mission to bring the benefits of creative
arts therapy (drawing, music, movement and dance) to less privileged children, adults
and families who have been through overwhelming and traumatic life circumstances.
The process of creative arts therapy allows our service users to express the
unspeakable, experience release and relief, find new resources inside and outside,
gain self-confidence and new perspectives, and feel empowered to move on towards
a more hopeful and happier life.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Arts on Prescription: Integrating Arts into Care
Info: How can the arts become a meaningful part of healthcare? This thought-provoking session brings together leaders from the World Health Organization (WHO), SingHealth, and the arts community to discuss how Arts-on-Prescription programs can transform wellbeing and care delivery.
Join Ms. April Lee, Prof. Kheng Hock Lee, Dr. Michael Tan, Ms. Adeline Kwan Li Feng, Mr. Lim Yuan Kang, and partners as they share insights from research, clinical practice, and creative engagement. Together, they will explore how the arts can be effectively integrated into person-centred models of care, bridging the worlds of art, health, and community.
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Tea Break
🕑: 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
THRivE toolkit launch and reception
Info: Discover how arts, heritage, and health programs can be effectively evaluated using evidence-based approaches. The THRivE Toolkit (Tools for Health Research and Evaluation in arts and heritage) is a comprehensive digital resource designed to guide practitioners in measuring the impact of arts and heritage programmes. All attendees will receive complimentary access to the toolkit (in digital format).
This project is supported by the National Heritage Board and Tote Board Singapore, with the preliminary version developed through funding from the National Arts Council.
The day will conclude with a canapé reception and live music — a chance to celebrate, connect, and exchange ideas with others passionate about the intersection of the arts and health.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, 3 Conservatory Drive, Clementi, Singapore
SGD 0.00






