Every week, more than 30% of American adults feel lonely, putting their mental and physical health at risk.1 Creativity and connection programs are a fun and simple way for adults of all ages to better connect with themselves and others.
Partner with us to access easy-to-use program toolkits that include research- and evidence-based workshop curricula, facilitation training, and evaluation support.
What makes our programs different?
We believe that one of the most effective ways to improve health outcomes through the arts is by empowering organizations across the country to deliver our proven programs. Through simple training sessions and curricula, we help community leaders effect direct change.
Guided by best practices in public health program development, we work to ensure our workshops are effective, scalable, and sustainable. We do this by collecting survey data, keeping workshops simple and affordable, and using an online facilitator platform for wide-scale distribution and uptake.
Our programs integrate mindfulness and creative expression to stimulate rich conversations and authentic engagement. Through activities ranging from expressive coloring to writing and movement, our programs help nurture positive connections among participants. No visual arts skills needed.
Tested across 50+ campuses
• Three one-hour workshops, which can be delivered as standalone programs or as a series
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Expressive coloring
• Conversations
• No visual arts skills needed.
The program has benefited over 4,000 participants to date. 96% of survey respondents would recommend the workshop, 84% felt more connected to their peers, and 79% felt less lonely than they did before.
• Three one-hour workshops, which can be delivered as standalone programs or as a series
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Music listening
• Sound and rhythm play
• Conversations
• No music skills needed
“My favorite part was playing around…and laughing a little!”
Student, Montclair State University, New Jersey
• Three one-hour workshops, which can be delivered as standalone programs or as a series
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Free-writing
• Conversations
• No creative writing skills needed
“This was therapeutic and much needed.”
Student, West Shore Community College, Michigan
• Three one-hour workshops, which can be delivered as standalone programs or as a series
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Expressive movement
• Conversations
• No exercise or dance ability needed
“Everything fit together very well. I felt very good at the end.”
Student, Texas Christian University
• 8-Week Program
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Creative expression
• Meaningful conversations about navigating the challenges of aging
No creative skill needed
“This is the ticket…if you can get people to do something creative it helps them. It’s the key for people to feel more powerful and hopeful.”
– Aging Outside the Lines Participant
• 4-Week Program
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Creative expression
• Meaningful conversations about financial self-care
No creative skill needed
“This is the ticket…if you can get people to do something creative it helps them. It’s the key for people to feel more powerful and hopeful.”
– Aging Outside the Lines Participant
• One-hour workshop
• Components:
• Mindfulness
• Short film screening
•Conversations
No special skills needed
“I learned that it’s ok to feel lonely…there is a community for you out there; you just have to find it.”
Film Screening Participant, University of Vermont
If you work for a college or university, click here to learn more about our Campus UnLonely offerings and register for an information session. You can also complete a 3-minute interest form to take the first steps towards Campus UnLonely membership. Members get access to a full scripted curriculum and facilitator guide, plus our Project UnLonely Films screening toolkit.
If you work for a community-based organization, complete our program interest form. After reviewing your responses, we’ll reach out to talk about how to bring our programs to your community.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Foundation for Art & Healing develops innovative programs that ignite the power of creativity, the imagination, and the arts to improve health and well-being in individuals and communities. Our evidence-informed approaches are based upon the science of creativity, and have demonstrated that the arts are transformational in engaging our hearts and our minds, elevating empathy, compassion, and connection to oneself and others.
Creative expression has the power to improve well-being by helping us understand ourselves, shifting perspectives, and reinforcing positive behaviors. Physiologically, making art has dramatic effects on our bodies: reducing blood pressure, bolstering our immune system, improving brain cognition, and fighting inflammation.
Footnotes
2 – see Psychosomatic Medicine and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
3 – see WHO and Arts & Health
4 – see Psychology in the Schools, Child Development, and Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine
