A section of artists, health experts and mental wellness advocates gathered in Kampala over the weekend for the "Art & Memory Café," an interactive event aimed at exploring the link between creativity, brain health and memory care.
Organised by the Memory Mosaics Initiative, the gathering held at Era92Hub in Lungujja brought together participants from different disciplines under the theme of promoting brain health through art, storytelling and community engagement.
The event featured guided art sessions, discussions on memory and short talks on mental wellness, with organisers saying the initiative was designed to make brain health conversations more accessible across different age groups.
Artist and brain health advocate Rodney Kiggundu said art plays a deeper role beyond aesthetics, describing it as a tool for identity formation, cultural preservation and memory retention.
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Kiggundu, who shared a personal connection to dementia through his grandmother, said his advocacy was inspired by lived experience.
"Art is not just painting or drawing. It is storytelling, it is community, it is resilience," he said, adding that African traditions such as music, dance and oral storytelling serve as "archives of memory" passed across generations.
He also linked creativity to cognitive health, highlighting neuroplasticity--the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections--as essential for long-term mental resilience.
"Young people need to wake up and take on learning continuously. The more exposed you are, the more your brain stays active," he said.
He further warned that lifestyle habits such as poor sleep, social isolation and unhealthy diets could increase the risk of cognitive decline later in life.
Speaking at the same event, senior paediatrician Dr Sabrina Kitaka cautioned that mental health and memory-related challenges are not limited to older people, noting that children and adolescents can also experience psychological distress.
She pointed to early warning signs such as forgetfulness, sleep disturbances, irritability and behavioural changes.
"Even babies get stressed, teenagers react differently, and adults carry unresolved emotions that can surface later in life," she said.
Dr Kitaka also emphasised that mental wellbeing is closely linked to broader health outcomes, including chronic illness and social stability, calling for early intervention at community level.
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Mental health advocate Elizabeth Kasujja stressed the need for continued public dialogue, saying many people still suffer in silence due to stigma and lack of awareness.
She said mental health affects productivity, relationships, finances and overall wellbeing.
"Mental health affects the whole human being--how we think, how we feel, how we act, and how we show up in society," she said.
Kasujja called for stronger community-based support systems, including workplaces and social spaces that respond better to emotional distress and grief.
Organisers said the Art & Memory Café model will continue as a platform for dialogue, creativity and community healing, with future editions expected to bring together more stakeholders in health, education and the arts.
