Healing Arts in Times of War: UK Parliament Roundtable — Post-Event Briefing
March 9th, 2026
London, England, United Kingdom
Stephen Stapleton, Angela Kennedy, Henry Redwood
This briefing summarizes a UK Parliament roundtable on the role of arts and culture in supporting mental health, trauma recovery, and resilience during and after war. Drawing particularly on initiatives in Ukraine, it highlights arts-based approaches for soldiers, veterans, and civilians and provides recommendations for integrating the arts into trauma care and health systems.
Posted byGrace McKinstry
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Abstract/Description
This post-event briefing summarizes the Healing Arts in Times of War Roundtable, held at the UK Parliament in March 2026. The roundtable brought together policymakers, WHO officials, military personnel, researchers, clinicians, artists, and NGOs to discuss how arts and culture can support military health, veteran recovery, and civilian resilience during and after conflict.
Drawing particularly on arts and health initiatives developed in Ukraine, the briefing highlights the potential of arts-based approaches to support people experiencing trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. It presents examples of art therapy and other creative programs being used with soldiers, veterans, civilians, and frontline responders, while emphasizing the potential for these approaches to complement existing clinical services.
The briefing also outlines recommendations for strengthening UK–Ukraine partnerships, expanding research on the effectiveness of arts-based interventions, developing trauma-informed training for artists and cultural workers, and integrating arts-based approaches more fully into health and rehabilitation systems. It presents the arts as an important resource for recovery, resilience, social connection, and rebuilding communities affected by conflict.
Drawing particularly on arts and health initiatives developed in Ukraine, the briefing highlights the potential of arts-based approaches to support people experiencing trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. It presents examples of art therapy and other creative programs being used with soldiers, veterans, civilians, and frontline responders, while emphasizing the potential for these approaches to complement existing clinical services.
The briefing also outlines recommendations for strengthening UK–Ukraine partnerships, expanding research on the effectiveness of arts-based interventions, developing trauma-informed training for artists and cultural workers, and integrating arts-based approaches more fully into health and rehabilitation systems. It presents the arts as an important resource for recovery, resilience, social connection, and rebuilding communities affected by conflict.
