Jameel Arts & Health Lab x Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund announce...

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the largest funder of arts & health in New York, is working with The Jameel Arts & Health Lab to establish a city-wide Healing Arts network and expand the annual UN General Assembly Healing Arts Week across all five boroughs.

New York, NY – Tuesday 8^th April 2025 – 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, provide evaluation resources for organizations engaged in arts and health, expand public engagement for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week from September 22^nd to 26^th 2025, and develop critical communications materials to enhance outreach and impact.  

“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,” said Rick Luftglass, Executive Director of the Illumination Fund. “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 recognizes the arts as a powerful tool for healing and well-being.” 

The 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 prioritize mentorship, support for program evaluation, and increased access for underrepresented community-based practitioners and the populations they serve.  

“The Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s mission is to measurably improve lives through the arts,” said Dr. Nisha Sajnani, Associate Professor of Drama Therapy at NYU Steinhardt and Founding Co-Director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab. “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 recognized, 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 well-being, working in partnership with the WHO 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 in collaboration with major cultural institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Whitney Museum, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City Health + Hospitals, and El Museo del Barrio. 

 
About the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund  

Based in New York City, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is dedicated to expanding access and opportunity for all New Yorkers and fostering healthy, vibrant communities. The Illumination Fund supports innovative approaches across a range of issues with a focus on advancing equity and community well-being. In 2018, the Illumination Fund launched  Arts in Health, a multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiative that supports organizations using the arts as a tool for healing, connection, and public engagement. 

thelmtif.org 

About the Jameel Arts & Health Lab 

Launched in January 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, the Steinhardt School at New York University, Community Jameel, and Culturunners, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global initiative to measurably improve health and wellbeing through the arts. 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.   

Jameelartshealthlab.org 

Photo Credit: The Shoulders of Legacy by Angel Garcia, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, Community Mural Project, 2021 

Illumination Fund Press Contact:  

Jan Rothschild, Rothschild & Associates,  

[email protected]  

+1 215 983 2157 

Jameel Arts & Health Lab Press Contact 

Jemima Lowe, Jameel Arts & Health Lab 

[email protected] 

+44 771 104 6867