Healing Arts in Times of War Roundtable
The Jameel Arts & Health Lab, in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and John Slinger MP, convened a high-level roundtable at the House of Commons bringing together Members of Parliament, researchers, veterans, artists, and medical practitioners, on Healing Arts in Times of War.
Date
9 March 2026
Location
House of Commons, London, England, United Kingdom
Organisers
Partners
UN Affiliate
On 10 March 2026, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and John Slinger MP, convened a high-level roundtable at the House of Commons on Healing Arts in Times of War.
Co-organised with King’s College London and Ukrainian organisations Art Therapy Force, Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center, and Cultural Forces, the discussion explored how arts-based approaches can support veteran recovery, civilian resilience, and children’s trauma care in conflict zones, drawing on frontline case studies from Ukraine. The session also marked the launch of Healing Arts Ukraine, part of the Lab’s global Healing Arts Campaign with the World Health Organization, highlighting the growing role of creative practices as accessible tools for mental health support and recovery in times of war.
The session was attended by Lord Alderdice (House of Lords), Vernon Coaker, Baron Coaker (Minister of State for Defence, House of Lords), Christopher Bailey (Founder, Arts & Health Program, WHO), Prof. David Cotterrell (War Artist), Iryna Holubetska (Unbroken, Ukraine), Dr. Angela Kennedy (King’s College London), Sir Gregor Smith (Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government), Dr. Henry Redwood (King’s College London), Dr. Simon Opher MP [Title to be added], Veronika Skliarova (Art Therapy Force, Ukraine), Ostap Ukrainets (Cultural Forces, Ukraine), advisors from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Halo Trust, and media including The Guardian and Sky News, among others.