---
title: Health & Wellbeing
type: taxonomy_archive
taxonomy: topic
slug: health-and-wellbeing
term_id: 115
permalink: "https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/topic/health-and-wellbeing/"
post_count: 35
---

# Health & Wellbeing

Posts in this archive: 35

- [New Research Project: Can Cities Shift the Dial on Culture and Health?](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/new-research-project-can-cities-shift-the-dial-on-culture-and-health.md) — The evidence that culture is good for our health is growing. Social prescribing programmes are expanding, arts-in-health initiatives are multiplying, and city leaders are increasingly recognising culture as a driver of wellbeing. But are we doing enough to move from individual pilots to lasting system change?
- [How the Chicago Monuments Project is reimagining public memory through equity and art ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/the-chicago-monuments-project.md)
- [Healing Arts Chicago: Embedding creativity in community health ](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/healing-arts-chicago.md) — Through cross-sector partnership between city culture, health and labour departments, Healing Arts Chicago has trained local artists as certified Community Health Workers through training at City Colleges of Chicago and through apprenticeships.
- [Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/report/sadiq-khan-world-cities-culture-report.md) — Foreword from Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and patron of World Cities Culture Forum, to the World Cities Culture Report: 5th Edition
- [Cultural Villages: Preserving Betawi heritage while improving community welfare](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/developing-cultural-villages-jakarta.md) — Launched in 2022, Jakarta’s cultural village initiative supports five Betawi communities- Petukangan, Rawa Belong, Marunda, Condet, and Tanah Abang - to preserve heritage and improve welfare. Through community empowerment, cultural tourism, and traditional arts promotion, the programme strengthens local identity and enhances economic sustainability. Led by the Jakarta Culture Office and ADKI, this policy framework promotes inclusive cultural development while positioning Jakarta as a culturally grounded global city.
- [Infrastructure](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city/infrastructure.md)
- [How Can Cities Scale Up Creative Approaches to Health?](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/how-can-cities-scale-up-creative-approaches-to-health.md) — The benefits of culture to our health are well-known. Whether through performing arts for dementia patients in Edinburgh, museum prescriptions for mental health in Montreal, or art therapy for trauma survivors in Kyiv, cities are tapping into the power of culture to tackle health challenges and improve citizen wellbeing. Beyond individual benefits, these programs build community cohesion, combat isolation, and boost urban resilience.
- [A Collective Reflection: Cultural Leadership Through Crisis](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/event/cultural-leadership-through-crisis.md) — A panel of Mayors from cities across the WCCF network came together to reflect on learnings from their responses to the pandemic, and make the case for culture in their cities.
- [CREATIVE RECOVERY? LOSS AND HOPE FOR GLOBAL CITIES](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/event/creative-recovery-loss-and-hope-for-global-cities.md) — Three years since the pandemic began, its effect on culture continues to unfold. Some have referred to culture and the creative industries as suffering from ‘long Covid’.
- [Art avenues to a more equitable Chicago: 'We Will Chicago' unveiled](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/we-will-chicago-citywide-planning-process.md) — A ten year framework to enhance citywide equity and resiliency, the "We Will Chicago" plan includes approximately 40 goals and 150 objectives to improve Chicagoans' lives, especially individuals impacted by inequities in health, economic stability, neighborhood livability, and other systemic issues
- [​How Montréal's department of culture tackled pandemic isolation](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/nos-maisons-our-homes.md) — Montréal's Department of Culture wanted to find a safe and creative way to bring citizens together and create spaces for collaboration and resource exchange between local government, artists and arts organizations, and the City's population who were confined to their homes.
- [How Milan's 'Accessible Present' event is driving a movement for diversity in the performing arts](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/presenti-accessibiliti-accessible-present.md) — Presenti Accessibili | Accessible Present took place from 27-29 April 2022 in Milan, offering workshops, meetings, and performances to raise awareness of accessibility in the performing arts for people with disabilities.
- [Redefining green space: Milan's botanical garden is a hub for creativity](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/milan-bam-biblioteca-alberi-the-trees-librarymilan.md) — The urban regeneration of the di Porta Nuova area began in 1999, with the creation of the Biblioteca Alberi Park in 2017 as its final stage. The 7,500 square meter green space was developed from scratch from bare earth, with a planting design based around three species of trees, that gives the area its name.
- [Resilience rewarded: Melbourne's 'Rising Festival' shines in 2022](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/rising-festival.md) — In 2022, RISING saw its first full iteration as a nearly two-week-long festival presented across and transforming neighborhoods in the city, including Flinders Street Station, Birrarung, Chinatown, and The Wilds. The festival, presented in June, featured 225 events with 801 local and international artists who took the city as their canvas, transforming its streets, gardens, carparks, waterways, and rooftops in an explosion of culture aimed squarely at the heart of Melbourne's night-time scene.
- [From dusk till dawn: expanding London's Night Time Enterprise Zone model](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/london-night-time-enterprise-zone-pilot-project.md) — Night Time Enterprise Zones are designed to support and grow the night time economy on local high streets or in town centres. In 2019, London Night Time Commission called for a Night Time Enterprise Zone fund for LOCAL boroughs AND a pilot project was launched by the Mayor of London which is now being expanded.
- [Can the arts inspire climate change? The secret behind HKYAF's success in engaging hundreds of young artists in Hong Kong](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/hong-kong-hong-kong-jockey-club-community-project-grant-start-up-community-arts-project-2021.md) — Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation appointed artists to work with teachers and youths to create works on environmental issues.
- [Why children's culture is being integrated with educational and social services in Helsinki's cultural development](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/helsinki-art-and-culture-in-helsinki-2030.md) — In August 2020, the City of Helsinki published its vision for art and culture – Art and Culture in Helsinki 2030.
- [From streets to streams: Tokyo artists find new audiences](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/tokyo-support-programme-for-arts-and-culture.md) — Professional artists and cultural practitioners were among the worst hit by the restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Therefore, the City created funding to support artists to make new work and stream it online.
- [Graffiti to gallery: Paris feeds young minds with 'Art to Grow Up'](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/paris-art-to-grow-up.md) — A priority for the City of Paris is to support cultural access for all from an early age. Thirteen years ago, the City, in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Department of School Affairs, developed the “Art to Grow Up programme”.
- [Soothing with culture: Seoul's remedy for 'COVID blue'](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/seoul-soothing-with-culture.md) — To console those tired of social distancing, the Seoul Metropolitan Government launched Soothing with Culture, a programme of digital and limited in-person performances
- [One Tokyo, many voices: empowering equality and diversity in culture](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/tokyo-creative-well-being-project.md) — Tokyo has a rich cultural offer, but this has not always been easy to access for some diverse, disabled and otherwise marginalised inhabitants of the city. Therefore since 2021, the Creative Well-being Tokyo project has worked towards embedding better inclusion strategies at its cultural institutions.
- [Toronto's pandemic response: transforming crisis into creative opportunities](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/toronto-covid-19-recovery.md) — The cultural sector was one of the hardest hit by Covid-19 restrictions, and one of the last to recover. Initially, the City acted quickly to support the sector with funds and rapid policy responses. In the aftermath, it worked to address structural challenges that the sector was facing long before the pandemic, helping it to flourish in the future.
- [Culture revealed: an indispensable online guide for Warsaw's cultural community](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/city-wide-platform-for-culture-online.md) — In September 2021, the City of Warsaw launched a new platform co-financed with the Andrzej Wajda Centre for Film Culture.
- [Saving the arts: Zürich supports the cultural sector during the pandemic](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/securing-the-future-of-artists-how-zurich-supported-the-arts-community-post-pandemic.md) — The City of Zurich created a temporary Covid Working Grant to help creatives through a difficult period and retain their talent in the sector.
- [Museums reconnect Barcelona's elderly community with cultural treasures](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/el-museu-sapropra-museum-approaches.md) — To tackle feelings of loneliness and isolation felt by older people living in Barcelona's nursing homes, a programme is facilitating access to cultural experiences for vulnerable people.
- [FIVE 'LONG -COVID' SYMPTOMS FACED BY CULTURE IN WORLD CITIES](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/5-long-covid-symptoms-faced-by-culture-in-in-world-cities.md) — The pandemic is over and culture and creative industries have been key to city recovery. However, we are still dealing with its effects. Director of World Cities Culture Forum Laia Gasch shares what the main issues are, drawn from research in collaboration with King’s College London “Creative recovery? 
- [Play, learn, grow: what makes 'Piapi' a unique experience for young children in São Paulo](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/artistic-initiative-for-early-childhood-programme-piapi.md) — São Paulo has introduced a city-wide arts initiative to meet the needs of young children and their communities who previously had no access to cultural programmes.
- [Can a festival define a city's spirit? A look at the success of 'Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13'](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/tokyo-festival-special-13.md) — Adapted in the face of the pandemic, thirteen extraordinary projects to celebrate the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games 2020.
- [Innovative arts in action: Melbourne's creative spaces initiatives](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/activating-creative-spaces.md) — In September 2020, the City of Melbourne, in collaboration with funding partner Working for Victoria, launched Flash Forward. This program commissioned local artists to activate 40 of the city center's historic laneways through lighting, music, and creative installations.
- [Creative wellbeing: mental health and wellness for youth in county systems in Los Angeles](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/creative-wellbeing.md) — Through decades of arts-based programming, research, and experience, LA County has seen firsthand how healing-informed arts activities provide youth with an opportunity to learn new skills and express their thoughts or ideas in a creative and therapeutic way.
- [Dementia friendly London: a game-changer for vulnerable residents](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/dementia-friendly-venues-charter.md) — The Mayor of London and the Alzheimer's Society launched the FIRST Dementia Friendly London initiative. The goal is to make London the world's first dementia-friendly capital city.
- [How a citizen-led project reconnects Lisbon's elderly with their communities](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/neighbourhood-lives-and-memories.md) — Reducing isolation and loneliness among the elderly population whilst gathering the history and memories of the city's older generation.
- [From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to The Marriage of Figaro: dementia-friendly performances in Edinburgh](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/forget-me-not-dementia-friendly-communities-project.md) — Edinburgh is opening hearts and minds by creating a supportive performance environment for audiences living with dementia.
- [A look at how a Brazilian orchestra is bringing harmony to hospitals](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/city-project/health-concerts.md) — To alleviate the stress associated with hospital visits and improve wellbeing, live music is being brought to the hospitals of Brasília.
- [Creative Recovery? The Role of Cultural Policy in Shaping Post-COVID Urban Futures 2022](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/publication/creative-recovery-the-role-of-cultural-policy-in-shaping-post-covid-urban-futures.md) — Since the outbreak of Covid-19, cities across the world continue to grapple with the pandemic’s devastating impact on culture and the creative industries. The pandemic exposed the precarious livelihoods of creative workers and the fragility of cultural institutions. But the crisis also revealed the unique power of art and culture too.