The symposium will be held in collaboration with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab on September 18, 2024.
On September 18, NYU Steinhardt will host The Art and Science of Social Connection, a full-day symposium on the importance of social connection on physical and mental health, quality of life, and longevity.
The symposium is presented as part of UN General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, established in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). Learn more about the importance of social connection from WHO.
The symposium will feature examples of research and practice that support social connection throughout New York City and beyond. The keynote speaker is Dr. Jeremy Nobel; as the founder of Project UnLonely, Nobel will unpack our personal and shared experiences of loneliness to discover its roots and to show how we can take steps to find comfort and connection through opportunities for creative expression.
“There is increasing evidence indicating the benefits of the arts and creative arts therapies in improving health at any age,” says Nisha Sajnani, associate professor and director of the Drama Therapy program, as well as co-founding co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and founder of Arts & Health @ NYU. “This symposium will illuminate how artistic expression can motivate individuals and communities to participate more fully in their own health and well-being and support social cohesion, which is a powerful protective factor against the stress of prolonged loneliness and its effects.”
This symposium will illuminate how artistic expression can motivate individuals and communities to participate more fully in their own health and well-being.
Faculty from across Steinhardt will participate, from areas of expertise including art, music, and drama therapy; dance and music education; vocal performance; and media, culture, and communication. Other guests and panelists include world-renowned soprano and WHO Arts & Health Ambassador Renée Fleming; National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chair Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson; Julia Hotz, journalist and author of The Connection Cure; and Ian Koebner, strategic advisor for health and wellness at Carnegie Hall.
The symposium will also set the stage for the release of a new report on a historic Arts and Health Caucus held in advance of a groundbreaking summit co-hosted by the NEA and the White House Domestic Policy Council earlier this year. The report is published by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with NYU Steinhardt, the Center for Arts and Medicine at the University of Florida, and Harvard University.
“Our faculty, students, alumni, and partners are reaching into local and global settings to bring the healing arts to those who can benefit from these practices most,” says Jack H. Knott, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean at Steinhardt. "I am excited to share how NYU Steinhardt is advancing knowledge about the healing power of the arts through our clinics and performances, which create opportunities for the community.”
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