As the intersections of the arts and public health continue to gain visibility, the “Arts RX: Aligning Arts and Public Health” panel session at APAP|NYC 2025 offered an essential and deeply human conversation around how the arts are not just cultural expressions, but critical tools for community health and healing. Featuring thought leaders from arts organizations, academia, and healthcare, the panel shared research, personal stories, and practical frameworks that illuminate the powerful and measurable impacts of the arts on well-being. APAP is pleased to share the content of this important conversation through the article below and the sessionpanel’s video recording, continuing its mission to equip the arts community with the necessary tools to engage in meaningful advocacy for the arts.
Session moderator Aly Lokuta, Senior Director for Arts and Well-Being at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), opened with a bold assertion: “The arts are public health.” She introduced five interconnected NJPAC initiatives aimed at integrating arts into health systems—ranging from artist training to research labs—underscoring how access to the arts functions as a social determinant of health. Lokuta highlighted data indicating that attending cultural events as little as once a month has comparable benefits to moderate physical exercise in improving health outcomes.
A standout example came from NJPAC’s “Arts on Prescription” program, launched in collaboration with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, where healthcare providers refer patients to participate in arts programs. With over 470 arts prescriptions issued and significant financial support directed to local creatives, the program not only boosts individual well-being but stimulates the creative economy.
Dr. Tasha Golden, public health researcher and former touring artist singer/songwriter turned behavioral scientist, shared her personal journey from the music stage to the academic lab. Her pivotal moment came from performing a deeply personal song about domestic violence. Audience reactions led her to realize the arts’ unmatched capacity to surface suppressed stories and foster healing. Golden’s subsequent research explores how the arts affect what people disclose, believe, and even remember—data that matters deeply in public health systems.
Her framework, IDEAS, outlines five ways the arts impact health:
- Individual and Interpersonal benefits
- Data and disclosure
- Education and awareness
- Aesthetic and emotional experiences
- Social and political change
Golden emphasized that artists don’t need to change what they’re doing to make an impact—just recognizing and framing their existing work through a health lens is a powerful first step.
Dr. Nisha Sajnani, Associate Professor and Director of the Drama Therapy Program at NYU and founding co-director of the Jameel Arts and Health Lab, provided a global and research-driven lens. She highlighted the 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) report that recognized the arts as underutilized health resources. Her lab’s mission is to improve lives through the arts across 193 UN member states through research, capacity-building, and public campaigns.
From addressing social isolation and maternal health in New Jersey to climate grief and forced displacement internationally, Sajnani underscored how arts programs—from live music in hospitals to youth-led artistic activism—are tackling some of public health’s most pressing issues.
Samuel Livingston of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute shared a case study on the organization’s “well-being concerts,” a reimagining of the traditional concert format intentionally designed to support mental and emotional health. These immersive performances are delivered in the round, with optional meditation cushions and no applause—just silence, reflection, and deep listening.
A study conducted with UC Berkeley revealed that participants in these concerts experienced reduced stress and increased emotional well-being, benefits that lingered for weeks. Some attendees even received weekly audio prompts to revisit the concert experience, further enhancing its long-term impact.
Throughout the session, speakers urged the arts sector to consider how reframing their work through a public health lens can unlock new funding sources, policy partnerships, and increased community impact. Sajnani pointed to a UK report calculating £8 billion annually in social benefits from arts participation—including increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs.
Panelists emphasized that health equity is core to this work. Who feels welcome in a theater? Who has access to creative outlets or culturally resonant programs? Thinking of arts centers as community health centers—and artists as health workers—can help expand arts access to historically marginalized populations.
Takeaways for Artists and Organizations
- Start with what you’re already doing – Your art already contributes to health.
- Reframe your messaging – Use public-facing materials to describe your work’s health benefits.
- Partner creatively – Collaborate with healthcare providers, social service agencies, or public health officials.
- Use the data – Leverage existing research to advocate for funding and support.
- Take care of the caregivers – Artists themselves need mental health resources and trauma-informed training.
As Tasha Golden beautifully put it: “If artists aren’t here, no one benefits from the arts.”
Main image: Arts RX - Aligning Arts and Public Health (Photo by Adam Kissick APAP)
This post was last modified on April 16, 2025 4:19 pm