Christopher Bailey on the power of art, compassion, and community

What do ululating, cave paintings, children’s laughter in a refugee camp, and Turner’s paintings have in common? According to Christopher Bailey, former head of Arts & Health at WHO, they can all help people process trauma.

In this inspirational opening speech at the Trauma-Attuned Arts School, Christopher explores why compassion is an evolutionary advantage of humanity and how art and creativity can help us navigate trauma, reconnect with others, and regain a sense of belonging.

The Trauma Attuned Arts School is part of Healing Arts Ukraine — an arts and health campaign to support military health, veteran recovery and civilian resilience in times of conflict.

Healing Arts Ukraine was spearheaded by Art Therapy Force as part of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s global Healing Arts initiative. The campaign was supported by the WHO Regional Office for Europe through the EU-funded Health Resilience in the Eastern Partnership Programme and co-produced by a national coalition of organisations working at the intersection of culture, healthcare, education, and policy, including the Lviv City Council, LME ‘Lviv radio’, the Institute for Cultural Strategy, the UNBROKEN Rehabilitation Centre, and King’s College London.