Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region Gains Strong International Attention

In recent weeks, Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region (AoP BSR) has been featured at several international events, highlighting the project’s practical tools, training models and implementation insights. From Greece to pan‑European networks, the Baltic Sea Region continues to play a central role in shaping the global conversation on arts‑based prescribing.

NASP Expert Roundtable in Greece – 23 April 2026

On 23 April, AoP BSR was presented at the NASP Expert Roundtable: Making Art on Prescription ‘Care as Usual’, held during the 2^nd International Meeting of Arts Prescribing in HealthCare, Greece.

The roundtable brought together national leaders in the field and was chaired by Charlotte Osborn‑Forde, who also introduced NASP’s new WHO Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing Policy and Development.

Stine Keiding, Head of the project, presented the Arts on Prescription Guide as well as findings and learnings on how AoP Programmes can be put into practice alongside:

• Professor Nikos Stefanis, lead researcher of the world’s largest RCT on arts‑based social prescribing
• Anna Formosa, Founder of Creative Health Malta and lead of Malta’s first Arts on Prescription study

The panel emphasized several shared priorities for strengthening Arts on Prescription across countries:

• clear, practical guidelines that support real‑world delivery
• strong referral pathways, including opportunities for referrers to experience the arts
• cross‑sector alliances connecting health, culture, community and policy actors
• strategic advocacy and political influence, including the need to shift political will towards increased funding and investment

The discussion highlighted how the Baltic Sea Region’s implementation‑focused approach aligns closely with emerging international policy agendas.

International Arts on Prescription Collaborative – 30 April 2026

On 30 April, the International Arts on Prescription Collaborative (IAPC) brought together practitioners from Japan, Germany and Latvia to explore how training for Arts on Prescription is developing globally.

Three contributions highlighted the Baltic Sea Region’s growing influence:

• Hannah Goebel, Project Manager, Arts on Prescription, vhs Bremen, Germany, presented the Train the Trainer module developed within AoP BSR.
• Inga Surgunte, Culture and Arts Institute of the Latvian Academy of Culture, introduced a micro‑qualification programme in Culture & Health, where AoP BSR is used as a central case study.
• Ernests Pūliņš‑Cinis, physician-psychotherapist from Latvia presented the Baltic Sea Region Toolbox, developed within ArtWell Net, a follow‑up initiative to AoP BSR that strengthens long‑term collaboration and knowledge exchange across the region.

Together, these contributions demonstrated how the Baltic Sea Region is not only implementing Arts on Prescription at scale, but also shaping the pedagogical and methodological foundations that other countries are beginning to adopt.

EUREGHA webinar – 8 May 2026

 On 8 May, AoP BSR will be featured at the Culture & Health: Scaling up Arts on Prescription webinar hosted by EUREGHA, the European network of regional and local health authorities. The session explores different Arts on Prescription models and how they can be scaled at regional and national levels across Europe.

Building on recent developments in Greece, the Baltic Sea Region and the UK, the webinar will examine how culture‑based interventions can be embedded into health systems. Speakers represent a broad range of institutional, research and regional perspectives, including:

• WHO Europe
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Culture Action Europe
• European Regional Health Authorities
• Latvian Academy of Culture
• Odense Municipality and Cultural Region Funen

The session will highlight emerging evidence from large‑scale studies, evolving policy frameworks, and the role of regional and local health authorities in implementing and sustaining Arts on Prescription initiatives across Europe.

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