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Arts and Health at Arts Ottawa and Access Alliance Community Health Centre by Venice Elesterio
As a social work student completing my practicum with the Alliance’s Social Prescribing team, I found myself stepping into a field that opened unexpected doors. Immersed in a community-focused approach to advocacy and health care, I was introduced to holistic, non-medical models of support that broadened my understanding of health and wellbeing.
As my placement progressed, I became interested in the role of arts and creativity in promoting health. With guidance from my supervisor, Natasha, I began exploring this more deeply. Natasha connected me with initiatives whose work intersects art and health.
One of these opportunities brought me to Arts Ottawa’s HeARTcare Café, an evening event held in the city’s downtown art gallery. There, I listened to panelists discussing arts-based careers within health-care environments such as hospitals and long-term care homes. Their stories shed light on the growing demand for creative practices that support healing, expression, and connection. Hearing these experiences prompted questions about opportunities and challenges faced by professionals in this field. Working with complex and vulnerable populations through artistic engagement requires a unique skill set, and I hoped to better understand how this work occurs.
Motivated to deepen my understanding, I spoke with two professionals: Arts Ottawa program manager Alex Maltby and Access Alliance CHC’s Community Health Promoter Christen Kong. Both offered amazing insights into how this work is accomplished.
In conversation with Maltby, he emphasized the vital role of the arts in health-care environments and also across broader social systems that shape the social determinants of health. I was eager to learn what he and his team have implemented within the city.
Maltby highlighted the transformative impact of arts-based programs that encourage participants to express vulnerability through creativity. He explained that these programs are intentionally designed to uphold dignity and empower individuals, rather than simplify activities out of concern that they may be “too challenging.” Instead, participants are invited to take on complex or unfamiliar creative tasks with the understanding that the final product – whatever form it takes – holds value. This approach, he noted, fosters confidence and builds a genuinely uplifting arts space.
At a broader community level, Maltby emphasized the long-term impact of integrating arts and creativity into formal institutional settings. The Artists in Residence project embeds an artist within a municipal department in the City of Ottawa. One example was an artist embedded in the Integrated Neighbourhood Services department. This department works with overflow shelters, where people fleeing domestic violence or refugees might be housed. The artist’s project was about creating moments of joy in transitory moments. For example, could the intake process be an experience of joy for both client and staff? The creative thinking of having an artist on staff led to a complete reimagining of how departments communicate and they became “de-siloed”. In addition, this creative thinking left an influence that reverberated long after the residency was complete. It helped shift how services are delivered, ensuring programs closely reflect the needs, identities, and lived experiences of the communities they aim to support. The result is a more resonant and transformative model of community engagement, as art is used as a tool to bridge gaps between people and the system.
My exploration into arts and health next brought me to Access Alliance CHC, where I met with program coordinator and social worker Christen Kong. Kong, who works within the community health centre’s arts-based mental health initiatives. She offered insight into the unique role creativity plays in supporting newcomers and racialized immigrants in Toronto. I first learned of Kong’s work through the Healing Arts for Newcomer Family Wellbeing project.
As a woman of colour completing my Bachelor of Social Work, I was particularly interested in how she engages diverse communities in artistic and expressive practices. During our conversation, Kong spoke about the project and outlined strategies that create safe and welcoming creative spaces.
Firstly, Kong emphasized that for many newcomers, art offers a pathway to healing that does not rely on verbal communication, an important consideration for participants who may be processing trauma and/or who are still learning English. This approach is especially impactful when working with newcomer women who are survivors of gender-based violence. She explained that expressing such deeply personal experiences can be difficult to articulate in words, but creative practices allow participants to engage with their stories in a way that feels safe, respectful, and culturally accessible. Whether individually or in group settings, art becomes a meaningful tool for rebuilding a sense of agency.
There are many challenges when working with diverse groups who speak different languages. Yet Kong noted that many of the barriers commonly encountered in arts-based programs can also reveal unexpected strengths. Since art is infinitely adaptable, it is capable of taking on any form participants need, it offers a flexible way to communicate and connect. She emphasized that in these settings, art is not defined by a polished final product but valued as a dynamic process for expression, healing, and shared understanding amongst participants and the surrounding community.
Kong shared a heartwarming story that illustrates the impact of arts based programs. After completing an arts program for newcomers, one participant expressed interest in becoming more involved in creative community initiatives. Kong encouraged her to join Access Alliance’s volunteer Arts Assistant program, where participants support coordinators, assist in workshops, and strengthen community connections. With further guidance, the participant later applied to the Humber Health Mentorship Program, which is an amazing example of the confidence and leadership that can emerge through arts-based engagement.
Stories like this highlight the impact of creative practices in community health. Across generations and cultures, art has served as a form of storytelling and connection. In today’s arts-informed health programs, it continues to offer a powerful, trauma-informed approach that empowers newcomers, racialized immigrants, older adults, youth, and others seeking support. Through these initiatives, art becomes more than creative expression – it becomes a catalyst for healing, belonging, and transformative community care.
Overall, my arts and health research showed me the impact of art and creative spaces for those who are healing.
Additionally, what stood out was the belief that art is not reserved for those who consider themselves “artists.” Instead, it is a meaningful avenue for expression and restoration, particularly for individuals who may struggle to communicate their stories verbally. Creative practices offer a therapeutic outlet that can help rebuild confidence, reduce isolation, and foster a sense of belonging. For newcomers, racialized immigrants, and others facing systemic barriers, these spaces can serve as vital bridges to community, identity, and wellbeing.
Lastly my research emphasized a simple but incredibly powerful truth: arts and health within our community and health services is not merely an extra or a privilege. Investment into artistic and creative spaces fosters meaningful, collective wellbeing. It addresses rising mental and physical challenges, is a safe expressive outlet, and most of all is a consistent, accessible form that is both inspiring and healing. Arts have a clear role as part of the health team.
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