Mapping of Initiatives on Culture, Health and Well-being

A touch...of art is the name of the exhibition that was presented in the entrance hall of the Escola de Saúde Pública da Paraíba (ESP-PB) between the 17th and 31st of May, 2022. The artworks displayed on the walls were the result of welcoming moments and art workshops at the Juliano Moreira Psychiatric Complex, since 2015, that involved inmates and employees. The opening of the exhibition featured an event with artistic and musical interventions. The exhibition was the beginning of the anti-asylum struggle, where discussed the challenge of guaranteeing mental health care in freedom, promoting autonomy for people. It also implied a reflection, experience and internal debate on the destination given to buildings and buildings that were once psychiatric hospitals.

The challenge of working with mental health in the country was rethought by a group, called Apasso a Porta, from the Psychosocial Care Center in Paranoá, Brazil. The artistic team, composed of 22 employees and former employees of the place, in addition to some patients, reinforces the importance of this type of intervention to offer humanized care. Psychosocial Care Center received film and theater performances to assist in the humanized treatment of mental disorders. This type of project is fundamental for the rehabilitation of people undergoing treatment for mental disorders: the possibility of cultural and artistic creation involves the subjectivity that patients themselves present during treatment with other professionals.

The Artistic Intervention Program for Professional Clowns is the Institute's key action and is carried out by about 10 artists who, in pairs or trios, follow the routine of visits to pediatric and geriatric wards of hospitals in the SUS Network, Institutional Shelter Units (UAI's), and Long Stay Institutions for the Elderly (ILPIs) in Minas Gerais. The unique relationship built, day after day, occurs because there is a continuity that strengthens bonds and brings effective results, whether in hospitals or institutional care. The clowns make visits twice a week, continuously, and when they shoot at the entrance of each wing, room, corridor or institution, they transform the environment, subvert the logic of space, take a universe of playfulness and possibilities so that for a few moments a bed may become a spaceship; a runner turns into a racetrack; the serum carriers that accompany hospitalized patients can be wands of superpowers; or even being discharged from a hospital turns into a grand planned escape.

The Exhibition Center of the Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca (HFF) had a new exhibition, organized in partnership with the Municipality of Amadora and one of the themes of the exhibition was to raise awareness against Covid-19 through comics. The Amadora City Council intended to raise awareness of measures to prevent contagion with the Covid-19 virus and challenged a group of authors, associated with Amadora BD, to create a set of original illustrations for various billboards throughout the county. These works were based on the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health. This initiative aimed to strengthen public health, through constant awareness of the local community. The presence of comics in the public spaces of the Municipality of Amadora was an element that facilitated the transmission of these messages addressed to the community.

Mental health is a state of well-being in which a person is able to use their own abilities, recover from routine stress, be productive and contribute to the community, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). During the pandemic, this was one of the most affected situations due to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19. As a result of this emotional instability, according to the One Year of Covid-19 study, carried out by Ipsos for the World Economic Forum with 30 countries, 53% of Brazilians declared that their mental well-being has worsened a little or a lot in during pandemic. To make the population aware of the importance of mental health care, with emphasis on suicide prevention, SESC Fortaleza promotes a series of interventions that combine health education and art. The program was part of the Yellow September Campaign – Valuing life in suicide prevention.

November 4th has been internationally recognized as Favela Day. The date allows the debate on issues related to Brazilian communities, which are extremely fundamental for the economic, social and cultural development of the country. It is for this purpose that CUFA (Central Única das Favelas) holds the “Favela Day”, an event that features basic health services, hairdressing, conversation circle and prevention of women's health, graffiti, Bboys, meeting of Djs and last but not least, local artists. The activities are free and take place in the community. The program aims to continue to present the shows, leading to empowerment and causing social impact.

Can we be happy when everything changes? is a conference-show done by the Art Symbiose theater company. The conference-shows approach different aspects of human relations with humor and interactivity. As a fun and educational awareness tool, the show delivers key concepts and allows to put them into practice on a daily basis and opens up directions for improving the quality of life of employees. This proven conference-show is an original proposal in its content and form. It is positively raising awareness on the well-being of individuals and how they can transfer it in their personal sphere. The objectives of the show are to reflect on new approaches to pay attention to the well-being of employees, which provides elements of understanding, reflection and immediately transposable actions.

Art & Well-being Musical Journeys are artistic shows performed by Lulla box, an evolving art form based on musical, vocal and sound creation. The shows approach the notion of well-being through the themes of nature, the meeting with the other, creativity, and can combine music, dance, visual arts or any other practice with a playful and sensory approach. The artist has been created different shows adapted to each type of public: "Well-being singing" (adults) or "Playful and creative singing" (children, adults), ''Musical journey of your choice".

Festiv'Arts is the annual festival of the Arts and Well-Being organization, a discovery for the public of its activities carried out throughout the year (workshops, concerts, exhibitions). The aim of the association is to create artistic events, to set up actions in order to improve the physical and mental well-being of its members and to facilitate the discovery of all the arts: music, dance, theater, poetry, painting, sculpture, photography. It aims to diffuse its actions to the greatest number and to be able to develop partnerships with various public or private organizations. In 2022, the Parental topic was more explored through theater and also circles of women.

Illuminart Museum is the first virtual museum for patients in hospitals, a project done by Art dans la Cité and presented for the first time on October 2019, to the project partners and enthusiastic health facility managers. This multi-cultural venue open to the world, allows patients to discover works of art from all over the world in their hospital rooms, and have access to a multidisciplinary and international artistic and cultural program. Depending on the audience, the programming will be able to be adapted, for exhibitions dedicated to children with fun contents, including audio, videos, books, musical instruments. Different spaces are already proposed within the museum: a central patio with trees reminiscent of nature, huge exhibition bright rooms, a library where you can go to read and relax, a music room. Through this initiative, it was highlighted the collaboration between the artistic and medical sectors, for well-being at the hospital.