Healthy debate: Art as a health behaviour
Read full article series By Christen Kong This is the second in a five-part series examining the role of art in health care. Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan to connect everyone to a primary care team by 2029 is a significant first step in improving health care for Ontarians. But for many, including newcomers, it is not […]
Creative care webinar #2: Preparing the canvas together
Why does preparation matter when implementing art based programs with newcomers and other diverse communities? What does it look like to prepare well prior to implementing an expressive arts program? This webinar will outline the crucial foundations of program preparation prior to implementation. Topics include partnership development, cultural and trauma informed outreach and recruitment, training […]
Healthy debate: Art as a health behaviour
Read full article series By Esty – Jo Asare and Andrea Charise This is the first in a five-part series examining the role of art in health care. “We are a planet of 8 billion artists.” – Dr. Daisy Fancourt, author of Art Cure For newcomers to Canada, creativity isn’t just a pastime – it can be […]
Creative care webinar #1: When words aren’t enough
Why art matters to gender based domestic violence survivors? What is the evidence on expressive arts for trauma recovery among newcomers? This webinar shares current literature and findings as evidence of arts impact in healthcare and settlement. Learn how expressive arts serve as effective interventions for trauma, healing and belonging in newcomer communities. Gain insights […]
Making space to be seen: Art and belonging
By Dena Pourbazargan, Expressive arts therapy student placement Settling into the space What happens when someone is invited into an arts-based program but has spent a lifetime believing they are “not creative”? This was one of the questions I found myself returning to again and again throughout my placement. I completed a year of practice […]
Community arts for newcomer mental wellness in Canada
Environmental Scan Scoping Review Transcript Community arts for newcomer mental wellness in Canada How can community arts support the mental wellness of newcomers in Canada? Join us as we highlight key findings from a national scoping review and environmental scan conducted by FLOURISH (University of Toronto Scarborough), in collaboration with Access Alliance (2024–2025). We explore […]
Prescribing the arts, returning back to ancient medicine
By Christen Kong, Health promoter and HEAL project coordinator Last week, I learnt that over 2,000 years ago in Ancient Greece, healing was understood as a delicate balance between body and mind. At the sanctuaries of Asclepius, the Greek God of medicine, healing, and physicians, patients did not rely solely on physical treatments. They also […]
Singing as a culturally tailored health approach
By Christen Kong, Health promoter and HEAL project coordinator What if health care included not only medical treatment, but also connection, culture, and community? Social prescribing is gaining attention as a way to broaden how we understand health by linking people to community-based supports alongside clinical care. According to the Alliance for Healthier Communities, social […]
When research meets community: IRSN voices
By Christen Kong, Health promoter & HEAL project coordinator What happens when newcomer researchers become leaders in the very research shaping newcomer wellbeing? In 2017, Access Alliance launched the Immigrant Researchers Support Network (IRSN) to help internationally educated researchers build Canadian experience, professional networks, and confidence as they continue their careers in Canada. Through mentorship, […]
Prescribing arts and culture: Revealing pathways
By Halena Panico, MSW (C), BA (Hons), CSW, Practicum Student Over eight months at Access Alliance, I witnessed how arts and cultural activities can support newcomer well-being. Through both research and hands-on facilitation of expressive arts programs, I saw how creative spaces foster healing, connection, and belonging. I also explored social prescribing as a holistic […]