The 2025 Torrance Festival of Ideas explores festival theme of CREATIVITY AND HEALTH. This global online two-day festival (April 21-22) features presentations from world-renowned scholars on their pioneering ideas on the intersections between creativity and mental health, physical health, community health, and medicine.

• Registration is FREE but seats are limited!
• Festival Website: https://tinyurl.com/torranceideasfest2025

Day 1 (April 21)

Morning Session (9am-12pm ET): CREATIVITY & MENTAL HEALTH
• Talk 1: 9:00am -9:45am -- ANITA JENSEN (Lund University, Sweden) Healthier together: Arts on Prescription for Mental Health Wellbeing
• Talk 2: 9:45am -10:30am -- VICKY KARKOU (Edgehill University, UK) The Arts & Arts Therapies with Children and Young People
• Talk 3: 10:30am -11:15am --SUSAN IMUS (Columbia College Chicago) Aesthetic Mutuality: Creating Breeds Creating
• Panel Discussion (with all three speakers): 11:15am -12:00pm [Facilitators: ROLAND VEGSO & ANNA ABRAHAM]

Afternoon Session (1pm-4pm ET): Session: CREATIVITY & PHYSICAL HEALTH
• Talk 1: 1:00pm -1:45pm -- CHRISTIAN RÖMINGER (University of Graz, Austria) Creativity & Physical Activity: What’s the Evidence?
• Talk 2: 1:45pm -2:30pm -- KELLY BARNETT (Balance Medical Center, Vancouver, Canada) Should Doctors Prescribe Creativity?
• Talk 3: 2:30pm -3:15pm -- LISA GALLAGHER (Cleveland Clinic, Ohio) HeRe We Arts®: Health, Resilience, & Well-Being Through the Arts
• Panel Discussion (with all three speakers): 3:15pm -4:00pm [Facilitators: TBC & ANNA ABRAHAM]

Day 2 (April 22)

Morning Session (9am-12pm ET): CREATIVITY & COMMUNITY HEALTH
• Talk 1: 9:00am -9:45am -- ALEX RODRIGUEZ (University of Florida) Arts Engagement As A Health Behavior
• Talk 2: 9:45am -10:30am -- SHOSHI KEISARI (University of Haifa, Israel) Enhancing Social Connectedness in Old Age Through Theatre-Based Interventions
• Talk 3: 10:30am -11:15am -- BRODERICK FLANIGAN (Visual Artist, Athens GA) Using Art to Discuss Economic Health in Low Wealth Communities
• Panel Discussion (with all three speakers): 11:15am -12:00pm [Facilitators: HARRISON CHAPMAN & ANNA ABRAHAM]

Afternoon Session (1pm-4pm ET): Session: CREATIVITY & MEDICINE
• Talk 1: 1:00pm -1:45pm -- ERICA CAO (Stanford University) Co-Creation in the Medical Humanities
• Talk 2: 1:45pm -2:30pm -- SUJAL MANOHAR (Baylor College of Medicine, Texas) How the Arts and Humanities Can Benefit Health Professions
• Talk 3: 2:30pm -3:15pm -- RICHARD SCHAEFER (Johns Hopkins University) Art Imitates Medicine and Medicine Imitates Art
• Panel Discussion (with all three speakers): 3:15pm -4:00pm [Facilitators: KATHERINE NILES & ANNA ABRAHAM]

This event is organized by UGA's Torrance Center for Creativity & Talent Development.