Jameel Arts & Health Lab

What Jameel Arts & Health Lab does

Jameel Arts & Health Lab (JAHL) is a non-profit global research and advocacy initiative founded in 2023 that works to integrate the arts into mainstream clinical and public health across the 193 UN member states. It was co-founded by four partners: the WHO Regional Office for Europe (acting through its Behavioural and Cultural Insights Unit), NYU Steinhardt's Program for Drama Therapy and Arts & Health @ NYU, Community Jameel, and Culturunners. The Lab is led by three Founding Co-Directors — Nils Fietje (WHO), Nisha Sajnani (NYU), and Stephen Stapleton (Culturunners) — alongside Christopher Bailey as Global Policy Lead from WHO Headquarters. Operations are anchored in three offices at UN City Copenhagen, NYU Steinhardt in New York, and Culturunners' London HQ.

The Lab's core technology is a rigorous evidence-synthesis methodology built on scoping reviews, randomized controlled trials, implementation science, and epidemiological analyses — anchored by the foundational 2019 WHO Scoping Review that synthesized over 3,000 studies on arts and health. Productized outputs include the JAHL-Lancet Global Series on Health Benefits of the Arts, the Music and Motherhood implementation toolkit for postpartum depression, the Hospital Murals Evaluation (HoME) study, named Healing Arts city/country activations (Scotland, Birmingham, New York), policy briefs on Arts-Health-Climate and Mental Health and Forced Displacement, the Global Population Health Fellowship, and a capacity-building program of short courses and webinars. Distribution occurs through free digital publication, peer-reviewed journals including The Lancet, and live event programming.

The Lab operates as a philanthropic-funded initiative, not a commercial entity; it generates no revenue from products or services and instead is resourced by founding partner Community Jameel with supplementary grants from Wellcome Trust, Nordic Culture Fund, WHO Foundation, and regional health authorities. Its "customers" are effectively institutional beneficiaries — healthcare systems, national and regional health authorities, academic and research institutions, and vulnerable populations reached through targeted projects such as Navajo Nation (Painted Desert Project), forcibly displaced people, and postpartum mothers across Italy, Denmark, and Romania.

Name

Jameel Arts & Health Lab

Legal name

Jameel Arts & Health Lab

Website

https://jameelartshealthlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a non-profit research and advocacy initiative co-founded in 2023 with WHO, NYU, Community Jameel, and Culturunners to integrate the arts into mainstream healthcare across 193 UN member states through research, policy briefs, the Healing Arts global campaign, and capacity-building programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Clinical Reference (Physicians, Nursing, Allied Health) (EDAGAGAA), Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Arts and health research
• Global health advocacy
• Public health policy
• Cultural wellbeing programs
• Research and policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Philanthropic Funding: The Lab operates as a collaborative initiative funded through founding partners including Community Jameel, with additional support from organizations such as Wellcome Trust, Nordic Culture Fund, and regional health authorities for specific research projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global non-profit research and advocacy initiative that conducts and disseminates scientific evidence on the health benefits of the arts. Its core offerings include multi-disciplinary research projects (e.g., Music and Motherhood, Hospital Murals Evaluation), the JAHL-Lancet Global Series, policy briefs for governments, capacity-building programs, and a global Healing Arts campaign of city-wide events — all provided free of charge to drive integration of the arts into mainstream healthcare.

Product overview

Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global research and advocacy initiative (not a technology product company) that operates as a platform of interconnected programs advancing the science and evidence of how the arts impact health. The Lab's portfolio includes: the landmark Lancet Global Series presenting evidence on arts and health; the Healing Arts global campaign of city-wide activations and events; research projects such as Music and Motherhood (singing-based postpartum depression intervention), Hospital Murals Evaluation (HoME), and the foundational 2019 WHO Scoping Review; policy briefs on Arts Health and Climate, Mental Health and Forced Displacement; capacity building through short courses and webinars; artist projects; and case studies documenting methodology and impact. The Lab collaborates with WHO, NYU Steinhardt, Community Jameel, and Culturunners to drive integration of the arts into clinical and public health across 193 UN member states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Healing Arts: A global campaign of city and country-wide activations, exhibitions, dialogues, and live events that socializes arts and health research to drive public engagement for the vital role of the arts in health.
• Healing Arts Scotland
• Healing Arts Birmingham
• Healing Arts New York

Products and services

• JAHL-Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts A landmark research series connecting international researchers and artists to present evidence on the value of the arts in clinical and public health for healthcare systems, researchers, and policymakers.
• Healing Arts Campaign A global campaign of city and country-wide activations, exhibitions, dialogues, and live events that socializes arts and health research to drive public engagement for the vital role of the arts in health, for the general public and institutional partners.
• Music and Motherhood An implementation study examining how a clinically proven singing-based intervention for postpartum depression can be adapted to different cultural contexts, for postpartum mothers, healthcare systems, and public health researchers.
• 2019 WHO Scoping Review A foundational scoping review synthesizing results from over 3,000 studies identifying the vital role of the arts in prevention, health promotion, and management and treatment of illness, for researchers, policymakers, and public-health practitioners.
• Hospital Murals Evaluation (HoME) The largest study of its kind examining the impact of murals in hospitals on patients, staff, and visitors, studying murals across different cultural contexts in Nigeria, Slovenia, the UK, and the US, for healthcare systems, hospital administrators, and arts-in-medicine programs.
• Policy Briefs Policy briefs and reports supporting informed decision-making about the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing, including Arts Health and Climate, Mental Health and Forced Displacement, and US Caucus Report, for governments, health ministries, and policymakers.
• Capacity Building Programs Short courses and webinars designed to build capacity in arts and health research and implementation, for researchers, clinicians, and arts practitioners.
• Artist Projects Artist-led projects addressing health emergencies through public art campaigns, including the Painted Desert Project addressing healthcare needs among the Navajo Nation, for community organizations, vulnerable populations, and cultural institutions.
• Case Studies In-depth looks at the methodology and impact of key Lab projects, including Yazidi Cultural Archives and Music and Motherhood case studies, for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
• Global Population Health Fellowship Featured research fellowship program designed to build global capacity in arts and health research and implementation, for early-career researchers and practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% of premature deaths worldwide linked to noncommunicable diseases that arts interventions can help prevent
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• World Health Organization Regional Office for EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023WHO Regional Office for Europe is a founding co-convener of the Lab, providing institutional authority, access to 193 member states, and integration into global public health frameworks. WHO's Arts & Health programme, led by Christopher Bailey, is embedded in the Lab's operations.
• NYU SteinhardtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023New York University Steinhardt School provides academic leadership through the Program for Drama Therapy and Arts & Health @ NYU, contributing research expertise and hosting Lab activities at its New York campus.
• Community JameelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Community Jameel, an independent global organization advancing science and learning, provides primary funding and institutional support as a founding partner. The Jameel family has a legacy of philanthropy dating back to 1945.
• CulturunnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Culturunners is a UK non-profit social enterprise that founded Healing Arts in 2020 and produces cross-cultural campaigns. Its CEO Stephen Stapleton serves as a Founding Co-Director of the Lab, leading global outreach and communications.
• University College London - Social Biobehavioural Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCL's Social Biobehavioural Research Group serves as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Arts & Health, conducting cutting-edge research on social connections and arts engagement impacts on health. Led by Professor Daisy Fancourt.
• Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrainLat at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile, partners with the Lab on brain health research, integrating with GBHI at UCSF and Trinity College Dublin to advance dementia research across Latin America.
• EpiArts Lab - University of FloridasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab in partnership with UCL, conducts epidemiological analyses exploring arts and cultural engagement impacts on US population health outcomes.
• Aeon CollectivesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeon Collective collaborated on COP28 panels including 'Safeguarding our Planet: Biodiversity, Climate, and One Health' at the Saudi Pavilion.
• Birmingham City CouncilsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirmingham City Council co-leads Healing Arts Birmingham, a city-wide initiative demonstrating arts and culture's role in transforming health and social equity across the Midlands.
• Scottish BalletsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Healing Arts Scotland, a bi-annual celebration of arts improving health and wellbeing, launched in 2024 and co-produced by a national coalition bridging culture, healthcare, education and policy.
• Breathe Arts Health ResearchsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUK-based organization providing expertise for the Music and Motherhood project, contributing to implementation of singing-based interventions for postpartum depression.
• Centrul Cultural ClujeansecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRomanian cultural center implemented Music and Motherhood pilots in Romania and has sustained impact by training musicians to offer grassroots sessions in Cluj-Napoca.
• NeuroArts Blueprint - Aspen InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSusan Magsamen co-directs the NeuroArts Blueprint project with the Aspen Institute, aiming to establish neuroarts as a mainstream field in medicine and public health.
• Trinity College Dublin - Global Brain Health InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Brain Week 2024 was a Global Brain Health Institute innovation at Trinity College Dublin, supported by the Atlantic Institute, exploring intersections of brain science and creativity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH): A long-established UK public-health body producing evidence-based policy advocacy across many health domains. Comparable in producing public-facing health policy outputs and convening cross-sector stakeholders, though its arts-and-health work is one program among many.
• Community Jameel: The founding funder and a Saudi-rooted global philanthropy advancing science, learning, and health. Relevant as a peer-type supporter of independent research initiatives, including arts-health via JAHL.

Direct peers

• Breathe Arts Health Research: UK-based organization implementing arts-in-health research and practice, including singing-based mental health interventions. Direct implementation partner on Music and Motherhood and a peer in applied arts-health delivery.
• Aspen Institute NeuroArts Blueprint: An initiative co-led by Susan Magsamen aiming to establish neuroarts as a mainstream field in medicine and public health. Direct peer in the arts-health advocacy and policy space, with overlapping mission and shared leaders.
• UCL Social Biobehavioural Research Group: A WHO Collaborating Centre on Arts & Health led by Professor Daisy Fancourt that conducts the foundational empirical research underpinning the Lab's evidence base. Direct research partner and the most methodologically aligned peer in the arts-and-health field.
• National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH): US-based nonprofit advancing the arts-in-health field through advocacy, education, and a national network. Mirrors JAHL's role as a national-level convener and advocacy voice for arts-health integration.
• EpiArts Lab (University of Florida): A National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab partnered with UCL conducting epidemiological analyses of arts engagement and health. Direct peer and active collaborator with the Lab on cross-country epidemiological work.
• Global Alliance for Arts and Health (formerly Society for Arts in Healthcare): International network advancing the arts-in-health field across clinical, community, and policy settings. Peer convener of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.

Emerging players

• Center for Creative Arts in Health (Orlando Health): A hospital-embedded center delivering and studying arts interventions for patients and staff. Comparable in producing research on clinical impact of arts but embedded in a single health system rather than operating globally.
• Scottish Ballet (Healing Arts Scotland partner): Co-producer of Healing Arts Scotland bi-annual celebration and an exemplar cultural organization embedding arts-in-health programming. Peer in arts-in-health delivery from the artist/producer side rather than the research/advocacy side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jameel-arts-health-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/communityjameel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Jameel Arts & Health Lab