Jameel Arts & Health Lab Partners with Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

The partnership will establish the Healing Arts New York Network.

The Jameel Arts & Health Lab has announced that it will partner with the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund to establish a city-wide Healing Arts network across all five boroughs of New York for the next two years. 

This strategic community of practice will convene local practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to foster knowledge exchange and unlock city and state-level investment in arts and health initiatives. The Healing Arts New York Network will prioritize mentorship opportunities, program evaluation support, and accessibility for underrepresented community-based practitioners and the communities that they serve.

“The Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s mission is to measurably improve lives through the arts,” said Nisha Sajnani, associate professor of Drama Therapy at NYU Steinhardt and founding co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab. “With the Tisch Illumination Fund’s support, we will be able to expand our reach and impact in New York City, ensuring that the transformative benefits of the arts and arts therapies are robustly evaluated, widely recognized, and systematically integrated into local and global health strategies.” 

The partnership will also expand public engagement for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week. Presented by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Healing Arts Week is an annual program of events held on the sidelines of UN General Assembly Sessions.

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is the largest funder of arts and health in New York. 

“The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has long been a champion of expanding access to the arts as a means of improving health outcomes,” said Rick Luftglass of the Tisch Illumination Fund. “By supporting the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, we are strengthening the infrastructure for arts and health collaboration in New York and connecting it to a global movement that leverages the arts as a powerful tool for healing.”

The Jameel Arts & Health Lab was established by NYU Steinhardt, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Community Jameel, and CULTURUNNERS to facilitate scientific research into the effectiveness of the arts in improving health and wellbeing. With a focus on overlooked and underserved communities, the Lab leverages scientific evidence, artist-led advocacy, and capacity building to drive the integration of the arts into mainstream healthcare.