Championing the therapeutic value of creative expression
Mississauga Arts Council’s ArtsCare Initiatives
MAC’s ArtsCare initiatives have included awarding the Arts for Mental Health Award since 2018, organizing the Arts for Mental Health Conference with Mass Culture in 2021, and their ArtsCare Programming MicroGrants that help put these pilot programs into action.
ArtsCare Programming
Mississauga Arts Council is a champion of Arts Care Programming in Mississauga. Through MAC’s MicroGrant program, artists are able to fund and create therapeutic arts programs to benefit those suffering from mental health conditions. Through the Seniors Arts & Music Series (SAMS), artists engage residents of long-term care homes in beneficial arts experiences. These programs also create a resource of the possibilities and outcomes of Arts Care services.
ArtsCare Resources
MAC looked into studies on the impact of arts on overall health and wellness. The startling healthcare benefits cited by provincial, national, and international reports, studies, and surveys guided our approach to the conference, and sparked the Arts + Mental Health Datathon was a three-day event, running from September 7-9, 2021. MAC continues to find research and resources that strengthen the belief that the arts heal.
Pilot ArtsCare Program
In 2023, MAC presented a Proposal for a Pilot ArtsCare Social Prescription Program to the Hon. Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, outlining an actionable plan to make creative experiences available to residents as a solution to improving mental health and wellness. MAC is actively working on making this pilot program a reality for residents of Mississauga and beyond.
Pilot ArtsCare Social Prescription Program
Mississauga Arts Council (MAC) presents a two-year Pilot ArtsCare Social Prescription Program to Hon. Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
On November 30th, 2023, Mississauga Arts Council (MAC) presented a new Proposal for a Pilot ArtsCare Social Prescription Program in Mississauga, written by art psychotherapist, Haley Toll, to the Hon. Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. This pilot program is the next step to furthering MAC’s ArtsCare initiatives to make creative experiences and activities available to residents as a non-pharmacological solution to improving mental health.
The Arts for Mental Health Award
Mississauga Arts Council (MAC) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2024
Arts for Mental Health Award, Anu Srivastava.
Sponsored by Bell Canada, this award recognizes the work of individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to arts for mental health initiatives. This year’s award was presented at MAC’s gala fundraiser for the arts, the MACsquerade Disco Inferno, on November 28th, 2024, at Le Treport.
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On February 9, 2022, The Honourable Patricia Bovey (F.R.S.A., Senator) asked a question to Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, (P.C., M.P., Minister of Health) during the Senate Debate. Senator Bovey has been a long advocate of leveraging the impact of the benefit arts and culture have on health.
Arts for Mental Conference
Mississauga Arts Council in partnership with Mass Culture presented the Arts for Mental Health Conference on October 6, 2021, bringing together thought leaders from the arts and medical fields to map a way forward for the integration of the arts into mental health practices.
Want to know more?
Contact us to learn more about the conference and how you can get involved. This is the start of a movement to bring the arts and health sectors together, and we look forward to your participation.