VCUarts Qatar Partners with WISH During Doha Health Week 2024

The Community and Continuing Education (CCE) section at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university, collaborated with World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) – a QF entity – during Doha Health Week 2024, held in November. 

The partnership resulted in two wellness-focused workshops and a panel discussion. The workshops were ‘Mindful Art Creation for Stress Reduction’ (for the public) and ‘Storytelling: Art Therapy Workshop’ (for healthcare professionals from the Public Health Care Corporation and Hamad Medical Corporation). The panel discussion – which was open to the public – focused on the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in Art Therapy. 

Explaining the relevance of the events for the public, Rasha Alkasab, CCE Program Manager, said, “Art has an incredible ability to connect, heal, and inspire. Through our collaboration with WISH during Doha Health Week 2024, we channeled this inherent healing power of art to support mental and emotional well-being. By offering these workshops and the panel discussion, we aimed to make art more accessible to the public as a tool for mindfulness and healing.”

She added, “At VCUarts Qatar, our Community and Continuing Education section is committed to bridging art, healthcare, and community, fostering environments where innovation and empathy thrive. Together with WISH, we are empowering individuals to explore art’s profound potential in addressing mental health challenges.”

The public workshop ‘Mindful Art Creation for Stress Reduction’ was designed to support stress management and emotional well-being through creative activities. The three-hour workshop aimed to help participants reduce stress through mindful art practices. It provided attendees with a calm, reflective environment where they could create art mindfully, focusing on the process rather than the outcome. The workshop was led by VCUarts Qatar alumnus Yousef Bahzad, and was held at VCUarts Qatar.

‘Storytelling: Art Therapy Workshop’ introduced art therapy to professionals from the Public Health Care Corporation and Hamad Medical Corporation. Designed specifically for those working in the healthcare sector, the workshop, held at Itqan Simulation and Innovation Center in Hamad Medical City, focused on helping participants manage stress and preventing burnout by engaging in creative storytelling and poetry through art. 

The workshop provided a space for healthcare workers to reflect, recharge, and explore new paths of self-growth through guided artistic exercises. It was led by Sara Powell, a registered art therapist and founder of ATIC Psychological Counseling Center, Dubai. Powell, who is also a VCUarts Qatar alumna, has extensive experience in child and adolescent mental health. During the workshop, she guided the participants through storytelling, collaborative group reflection, and mindful art creation.

One of the healthcare professionals who participated in the workshop said, “This activity should be held at the unit level of clinical departments for a couple of hours each month, especially for staff working in intensive care units and emergency departments. Such staff work in fast-paced, highly demanding work environments. They really need this activity as it provides a channel to release the pent-up emotions and stress that come with their areas of work and express themselves creatively.”

The panel discussion, held at VCUarts Qatar, focused on the benefits of the use of virtual reality (VR) in art therapy for chronic pain management. Dr. Wael Salem, a consultant in Anesthesia and Pain Management at Hamad Hospital, and faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, and Sara Powell were the panelists. VCUarts Qatar painting and printmaking professor Michael Perrone moderated the panel. 

The panelists shared their thoughts on current research on VR art therapy and discussed the possibilities of integrating techniques for clinical settings and the challenges and opportunities that come with the implementation of VR art therapy in Qatar. Arhama Amjad, a VCUarts Qatar alumnus and information technology staff member, demonstrated the use of VR in art therapy, helping attendees further their understanding of the topic.

The CCE section comes under the Department of Strategic Engagement at VCUarts Qatar and regularly offers short-term courses and workshops for the public.