National Gallery Singapore isn’t just our country’s largest and oldest museum. It’s now also Asia’s official first Healing Arts Centre of Excellence, as declared by Jameel Arts & Health Lab and the World Health Organization (WHO). That all sounds like quite a mouthful, but we’ll break it down for you. What this essentially means is that our leading museum will act as a key partner when it comes to health- and wellness-related initiatives, including those for underserved communities, such as people with dementia or disabilities.
Other arts organisations that share this status with the National Gallery include the prestigious Carnegie Hall and Scottish Ballet – and that should tell you everything you need to know about the significance of this designation.
As part of this comes the launch of Healing Arts Singapore. Jointly helmed by the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Music and Health Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), and the University of the Arts Singapore, this long-term campaign aims to fuse the arts with healthcare in Singapore, before its efforts are amplified in the region.
Some ongoing initiatives at National Gallery Singapore, created with inclusiveness in mind, include: a slow art audio guide to boost mindfulness and a sense of calm; a Hands-on Learning and Development (HOLD) collection with tactile components for the blind and partially blind; and a Gallery Wonders programme that offers complimentary transport and curated tours that make art accessible to those who are neurodivergent, disabled, of old age, or in nursing homes. There’s also a calm room within the museum, which visitors are free to pop into for a breather should they feel overstimulated at any point.
Find out more about Healing Arts Singapore here and check out National Gallery Singapore’s latest programme line-up here.
READ MORE
City Square Mall just underwent a $50 million revamp – here's what's new and fun to check out
A new high-speed train will start running between Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur in December 2025