Nigerian artist, Kunle Adewale has been recently recognised as a Fellow of the College of Medicine in the United Kingdom. Adewale was first nominated as a Future Health Leader and was among interdisciplinary professionals, including Medical Doctors, Scientists, and Creative Health Practitioners, driving social change in the healthcare sector.
During his remarks at the ceremony, Dr. Michael Dixon, Chair of the College of Medicine, Head of Royal Medical Household reiterated the value that health leaders like Adewale add to humanity.
“The Future Health Leaders programme is a unique opportunity to cultivate your leadership skills and vision, equipping you to navigate and transform the evolving healthcare landscape. We recognise the vital role that innovative and effective leadership plays in shaping the future of healthcare, and we are excited to support you on this journey.
“This recognition is not merely a title; it is a commitment to apply your skills and knowledge to improve health care in alignment with our mission at the College of Medicine. We believe that each of you has the potential to make a significant impact in your respective fields. I encourage you to take full advantage of this experience. Embrace the discussions, ask questions, and share your insights.”
The College of Medicine, through the Future Health Leaders Programme, envisions a new generation of innovative healthcare leaders who are equipped to navigate and transform the evolving health landscape. By fostering a community of forward-thinking professionals, the programme aims to inspire and empower participants to address the challenges facing the health sector today and in the future. Aims and Objectives The primary aim of the Future Health Leaders Programme is to cultivate visionary leaders who can drive meaningful improvements in health care.
Kunle’s journey into health and well-being began during a personal mental health crisis decades ago, marked by struggles with confidence, low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, and depression, among others. Through the power of the arts, he discovered light and a profound sense of purpose in his mission to make the world better. After studying Fine Arts at Auchi Poly and Fine and Applied Arts at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
He forged and pioneered a new path at the intersection of arts and medicine, witnessing first hand its incredible impact on diverse populations. While he was in Nigeria, through collaborations, Kunle pioneered the National Arts and Health Conference, National Arts in Health Week, and several arts and health projects with government agencies, academic institutions, public health institutions, and arts and culture organizations to facilitate arts for healing for children, young adults and older adults with critical health conditions.
Since his arrival on the UK Soil in 2022, Kunle has been a guest presenter and speaker at University College London, King’s College London, Healing Arts Scotland, organised by Scottish Ballet, Jameel Arts and Health Lab, WHO Europe, Culturerunners and the University of Edinburgh Scotland. Kunle produced and curated the Black Leaders Summit in Oxford, supported by the Atlantic Institute. He collaborated with Universities and Museums and African leaders in the diaspora to host Arts and Health Pavilions for Black History Month in London, Wolverhampton, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Cork and Dublin, Ireland.

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Professor, Jonathan Gray, Founder, Commonwealth Leadership Institute, Kunle Adewale, Fellow of the College of Medicine, Dr Michael Dixon CVO, OBE, MA FRCGP, FRCP (Hon). Chair of the College of Medicine , Head of Royal Medical Household
Adewale in his remarks noted: “My visionary and pioneering leadership efforts in Arts and Health at local, national, regional, and global levels, the scalability and sustainability of this movement have brought us to this remarkable recognition From a Future Health Leader to officially becoming a Fellow of the College of Medicine in the United Kingdom. This achievement reflects my unwavering commitment, collaboration, dedication, leadership, and influence in the transformative power of Arts and Health across cultures, disciplines, and generations. Being a Fellow of the College of Medicine affords me the privilege of contributing to the College’s mission, UK health systems and communities. Since relocating to the United Kingdom in 2022, I have collaborated with academic institutions, arts and culture organizations, experts, professionals, and non-profit leaders in the UK.”
The College of Medicine Fellows and UK Future Health leaders were joined by UK ministers, Members of Parliament, Policymakers, WHO representatives, Directors of research, scholars, social prescribing leaders, arts and culture leaders, Mental health leaders, a Commonwealth leadership institute representative, and UK health leaders. The event took place at the prestigious Windsor in London.
Kunle Adewale is a Nigerian-born, UK-based multimedia artist and mental health advocate. He founded Arts in Medicine Projects and the Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship, training over 1,000 professionals from 60 countries and impacting over 60,000 people. His work supports diverse groups across Nigeria, the UK, Ireland, and the US. Kunle has received multiple accolades, including Kunle Adewale Day in Cincinnati, and he serves on Jameel Arts and Health Lab and WHO Steering committees promoting arts and health integration.
Kunle’s humanitarian global art engagements have benefited children, adolescents, youths, adults who have cancer, sickle cell anemia, disabilities, mental illnesses, older adults with dementia, Teen mothers with HIV/AIDS, inmates, refugees, and families displaced by war and terrorist attacks, among others. His global art initiatives have been featured in international media, including the Voice of America in Washington, DC, France 24, Weltspiegel, Aljazeera, Reuters, BBC Africa, The Guardian UK, CBC Canada, Europawok, Taiwan Plus TV, TV5 Monde France, VD News Germany, EAC News Cambodia, Global Business Outlook, TRT World, DW Deutsche Welle News Germany, ARTE.TV France, The Lancet Child, and Adolescent Health Journal, to name a few.
UK Commonwealth Youth Worker Award winner, Young African Ambassador for Arts & Culture, Arts Council of New Orleans, Louisiana, Mandela Washington Fellow of President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI Flagship Fellowship), Nominated for the Global Teacher Prize, Varkey Foundation, United Kingdom, in 2014 and 2016. Endorsed by the National Museum for African Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C, Kunle was named and endorsed as a Global Talent Exceptional Leader by the Arts Council of England in 2022.
He is a member of the WHO Arts Practice and Ethics of Care project cohort. In 2023, Kunle Adewale was appointed to a Steering Committee of the WHO-Jameel Arts & Health Lab in New York. He is co-curator and co-author of the Jameel Arts and Health, WHO and Lancet Global Series on the Health Benefits of the Arts. Kunle is the Executive Producer and the Global Development Lead for the Global South Arts and Health international initiative, which has benefitted over 100,000 across 30 countries worldwide.