The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has joined forces with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab to strengthen the intersection of arts and health across all five boroughs of New York for the next two years.
This strategic partnership underscores a shared commitment to create vibrant, healthy communities by raising awareness of the role the arts can play in supporting health and wellbeing.
The partnership will support the establishment of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s first city-based hub in New York and provide evaluation resources for organisations engaged in arts and health.
The collaboration will also expand public engagement for the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week and develop critical communications materials to enhance outreach and impact.
The next UNGA Healing Arts Week will take place from 22 to 26 September 2025.
Rick Luftglass, executive director of the Illumination Fund, said: “The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is committed to expanding access to the arts as a means of improving health outcomes and advancing health equity.
“Through our support of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, we’re helping to build an infrastructure for collaboration within the arts and health community in New York and connecting this work to a global movement that recognises the arts as a powerful tool for healing and wellbeing.”
The Jameel Arts & Health Lab Healing Arts New York Network will bring together practitioners, researchers and policymakers to share knowledge, build partnerships and drive city and state investment in arts and health initiatives.
With a strong focus on local communities, the network will prioritise mentorship, support for programme evaluation and increased access for underrepresented community-based practitioners and the populations they serve.
Nisha Sajnani, founding co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and associate professor of drama therapy at the Steinhardt School at New York University (NYU Steinhardt), said: “The Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s mission is to measurably improve lives through the arts.
“With the 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 recognised and systematically integrated into local and global health strategies.”
Since its launch in January 2023, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab has been at the forefront of scientific research into the effectiveness of the arts in improving health and wellbeing.
The lab works in partnership with the World Health Organisation regional office for Europe, NYU Steinhardt, Community Jameel and CULTURUNNERS.
The lab’s previous advocacy efforts have contributed to significant developments in the New York City arts and health field, including its role in convening stakeholders across culture, health and policy.
This has been achieved in collaboration with major cultural institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City Health + Hospitals and El Museo del Barrio.