Have you ever stumbled into the most perfect conversation, with someone who’s figured out the very puzzle that has you stumped? Our recent workshop at the Center for Art in Medicine at the University of Florida felt like that. We brought together arts and public health folks from the Greater Sum network to learn about what’s called the Fifth Wave of Public Health — the focus on culture’s role in health.
Key takeaways from the visit include:
Health communications are more effective when they are targeted and feature narratives.
Art is a powerful means of communication, and can be harnessed to cultivate empathy and facilitate understanding of important health messages.
The impact of the arts in healthcare is well established in the US. Many organizations are also using the arts to achieve public health outcomes, but there’s less organized study of those outcomes and methods.
Center Director Jill Sonke and her team have been convening practitioners in both the arts and public health for a series of planning sessions across the country. Now they’re hosting a conference to connect people working at the intersect of art, public health, and community development. Learn more here. Join their Facebook community here.
