Healing Arts in Times of War Roundtable

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 work you are doing, and the therapy you are providing through the arts, may become more and more necessary. What you are doing here is imaginative and novel in the very best sense. We stand with all veterans, from wherever they come, in order to support them.

I came today to show the UK Ministry of Defence’s support for what you’re doing, and to recognise its importance. That is the least we could do.

Lord Coaker
Minister of Defence, House of Lords

This session was attended by representatives from the UK House of Lords, the Ministry of Defence, and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, alongside the World Health Organization, King's College London, and the Scottish Government. The Ukrainian delegation included representatives from Unbroken, Art Therapy Force, and Cultural Forces. The Halo Trust was also present, with media coverage from The Guardian and Sky News.