The Association
Art and culture make a significant contribution to our health and well-being. In times of the Corona pandemic, this topic takes on added poignancy. Arts and culture can play a positive role in both the management and prevention of stress and its consequences (psychological, mental and physical).
The “Arts for Health” workshop organized by BMKÖS on December 5, 2019, put this topic up for discussion on a broad scale for the first time in Austria. Despite isolated, exemplary initiatives, there is still too little awareness overall in Austria in both the cultural and health sectors and hardly any structural approaches.
The association ARTS for HEALTH AUSTRIA (AfHA) for the promotion of art interventions in the context of health and well-being aims to address these structural deficits.
The association sees itself as a platform for art interventions in the public health field in Austria, as an interface between artists, researchers and health care professionals as well as a national and international networking tool and contact point for all those interested in this field.
Overall, the debate of art interventions in public health in Austria is only at its beginning. The initiatives of ARTS for HEALTH AUSTRIA are therefore based on the experiences of international organizations with the same goals and orientation. The proponents of AfHA are well networked internationally and will develop the activities of the association in close cooperation with likeminded entities.
AfHA’s fields of activity:
- Platform for art activities in the public health sector in Austria.
- Interface between art and science
- National and international networking tool
- Information point for all those interested in this field
- Funding institution for innovative art projects in the health sector
