• First Healing Arts campaign to be held in Spain

• Catalonia’s emerging arts and health ecosystem will be activated from 20 to 26 October 2025

Barcelona, 26 June 2025 — The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) has signed a strategic agreement with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), to host the international event Healing Arts Barcelona. Under the theme “The arts care for us – culture is health”, Healing Arts Barcelona will take place from 20 to 26 October 2025 and will feature hundreds of activities and projects across Catalonia. The agreement was signed by Pepe Serra, director of MNAC, and Stephen Stapleton, co-founder of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, during a working meeting at the museum, in the presence of Dr. Carmen Cabezas, member of the Healing Arts Barcelona Advisory Committee and a national leader in public health.

Jointly organised by MNAC and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, with the collaboration of the WHO, Healing Arts Barcelona aims to promote a transformation of public policies through the integration of artistic and cultural practices in health promotion, disease prevention and community wellbeing. The initiative aligns with MNAC’s strategic vision to position the museum as a community asset that fosters individual and collective health and wellbeing, building on its pioneering and consolidated Arts and Health strategy.

“Healing Arts Barcelona reflects our commitment to expanding the museum’s role as an agent of cultural, social, and health-driven change,” said Pepe Serra, director of MNAC. “It is not only a platform for artistic and scientific exchange, but also an opportunity for the museum to foster alliances and advocate for the integration of culture into public policies to improve collective wellbeing, at a key moment for the institution.”

The event is part of the global Healing Arts movement, which has already brought initiatives to cities such as Venice, London, New York, Basel, Jaipur, Houston, Atlanta, and Scotland, often in collaboration with world-renowned cultural and scientific institutions. This will be the first Healing Arts campaign held in Spain and will engage Catalonia’s arts and health ecosystem in all its diversity.

With the participation of a broad and growing coalition of cultural, health and academic institutions from across Catalonia, the week-long programme will explore the intersection between the arts (in all their forms), health, science, and public policy. Events will be held throughout the region and include an international symposium, keynote lectures, workshops, concerts, performances, screenings, round tables, community interventions, and artistic experiences in museums, health centres, universities, and other venues. Decentralised programming will also take place in local hubs such as Baix Llobregat, Lleida, Tarragona, Sitges, Granollers and Vic.

As part of Healing Arts Barcelona, a research team from the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, New York University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Vic will conduct a comprehensive mapping of the Arts and Health ecosystem in Catalonia. The study will systematically document and analyse the diversity of existing initiatives and stakeholders, becoming a key resource for guiding public policy, strategic collaborations, and community engagement. This evidence base will support the sustained integration of the arts into the country’s healthcare systems.

The project is supported by the Departments of Culture and Health of the Government of Catalonia.

For more information: healingartsbarcelona.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csmHn9t6XD

About the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is a leading cultural institution located in the Palau Nacional on Montjuïc Hill, built for the 1929 International Exhibition. It first opened its doors in 1934 as the Museum of Art of Catalonia, bringing together the region’s medieval art collections. In 1995, as the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the museum inaugurated new Romanesque galleries, progressively expanding the public presentation of its collections, a process that culminated in 2004 with the inclusion of modern art.

MNAC is currently undertaking an ambitious expansion project into a second historic building, which will double its exhibition space and reinforce its role as a national museum. Beyond its curatorial mission, the museum plays a key role in cultural and social innovation, with a strong commitment to education, inclusion, and community health. It is internationally recognised for its pioneering work in arts and health programmes in collaboration with hospitals, primary care centres, universities, and public institutions.

museunacional.cat

About the Jameel Arts & Health Lab

Launched in January 2023 by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, New York University’s Steinhardt School, Community Jameel and Culturunners, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global initiative that aims to measurably improve health and wellbeing through the arts. With a focus on underserved and marginalised communities, the Lab combines scientific evidence, artist-led advocacy, and training programmes to promote the integration of the arts into formal healthcare systems.

jameelartshealthlab.org