Can art save lives? Although the therapeutic effects of the arts have been recognized for many centuries, it is only in recent years that there have been systematic and controlled studies of these effects. This course explores how the arts and arts therapies are used to improve health, including mental health, in clinical and community contexts. Can music and music therapy reduce stress, anxiety, and pain in cancer patients? Can visual art and art therapy reduce incidents of misdiagnosis? Can dance and dance therapy increase mobility in people with neurodegenerative conditions? Can theatre, drama therapy, and psychodrama help us better understand each other? How have artists and arts therapists responded during this pandemic? Beginning with current research from across the globe, students will delve into examples of practice with the arts and arts therapies. Materials include evidence on how the arts reduce blood pressure, shorten length of hospital stay, reduce drug consumption, increase patient satisfaction, promote better relationships between care providers and patients, improve mental healthcare, empower expression, deepen empathy, and promote social engagement. NOTE: Only NYUAD students are eligible to take this course.