A transformative exchange at the Arts on Prescription Public Seminar in Bremen

On 27-28 November 2024, the city of Bremen became the hub of an inspiring event in the field of arts and culture in health promotion and prevention. Hosted at the vhs Bremen (Adult Education Centre), the event gathered around 60 participants from across the Baltic Sea Region, including policymakers, health practitioners, artists, cultural facilitators, and researchers. The initiative, a key part of the Interreg BSR project Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region, underscored the growing recognition of arts and culture as a vital component of health promotion, prevention and mental well-being.

Co-organized by vhs Bremen, the Ministry for Health, Women, and Consumer Protection, and the Ministry for Culture of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, the event facilitated meaningful discussions, hands-on workshops, and exchange sessions aimed at fostering collaboration between the culture and health sectors.

Day 1 Highlights: Exploring the Intersection of Culture and Health

The first day was divided into two major components: “AoP and Friends” for project partners and practitioners in the morning and a Public Seminar in the afternoon.

Morning Session: AoP and Friends

Project partners, twinning partners, and arts and cultural facilitators convened to review the progress of the project and share insights from various Arts on Prescription (AoP) pilots.

The morning featured:

• Welcoming remarks from Bremen’s Ministry representatives and vhs Bremen leaders, emphasizing the city’s commitment to integrating arts into public health frameworks.
• Presentations of the 7 Arts on Prescription pilot programmes in cities and regions in Denmark, Germany, Poland, Latvia and Sweden.
• Interim evaluations by experts from the University of Southern Denmark and Turku University of Applied Sciences, offering data-driven insights into the impacts of AoP initiatives.

Welcome by Susanne Nolte, vhs Bremen © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

AoP pilot presentations © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

Afternoon Public Seminar: The Role of Arts and Culture in Health Promotion and Prevention

The seminar opened its doors to a broader audience, engaging participants in a rich exploration of the cultural, social and economic value of arts & culture in health.

Dr. Kirsten Kappert-Gonther, psychiatrist and Head of the Health Committee of the German Parliament, whose compelling opening address linked mental health policy with arts-based interventions.

Dr. Kirsten Kappert-Gonther, Head of the Health Committee of the German Parliament ©Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

Keynote speakers included:
Inga Surgunte, an expert in culture and sustainability, highlighted the alignment of arts initiatives with EU health and cultural strategies with her key note presentation on “The Cultural Value of Arts & Health Initiatives in a European Context”. Inga Surgunte emphasized the integration of arts and health within European frameworks, showcasing their potential to enhance mental health, resilience, and sustainable development.

Key highlights include:

• Policy Alignment: European initiatives, including the Lisbon Treaty, SDG 3, and the EU Workplan for Culture (2023–2026), prioritize the role of culture in fostering health and well-being.
• Cultural Impact: Arts provide non-clinical mental health support, complement healthcare services, and expand cultural accessibility while supporting artists’ livelihoods.
• Economic and Social Benefits: Cultural participation drives sustainable development, inclusion, and local economic growth.
• Strategic Actions: Recommendations include integrating arts into health frameworks, promoting participatory practices, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration.
• Vision: A Europe where culture is integral to health journeys, enhancing quality of life and mental well-being.

Surgunte highlighted ongoing initiatives like the EU-supported Culture for Health program and a forthcoming 2025 report on culture and health synergies, published by The European Commission OMC expert group ‘Culture and Health’. The keynote affirmed arts and culture as pivotal to holistic, inclusive health promotion.

Inga Surgunte, Culture + Sustainability expert, Cēsis Municipality © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

Dr. Anita Jensen, a renowned Arts and Health strategist, presented a systematic review of AoP programmes worldwide, offering evidence of their transformative impact on mental well-being and social connectedness. Anita Jensen highlighted the effectiveness of Arts on Prescription (AoP) in improving mental health and well-being through a systematic review of 25 studies across five countries.

Key outcomes include:

• Quantitative Benefits: Statistically significant improvements in well-being metrics.
• Qualitative Outcomes: Boosts in self-esteem, social connections, life direction, and creative engagement.
• Mechanisms: Social interaction, routine-building, psychological relaxation, and expressive autonomy.
• Barriers: Challenges include physical (mobility, transport), psychological (stigma, preferences), and systemic (awareness, funding).

Recommendations:

• Enhance tailored programme designs and longitudinal studies.
• Develop clear referral pathways and sustainable care frameworks.
• Scale and adapt AoP to diverse regions and patient groups.

Conclusion: AoP offers non-clinical pathways to improve health and social inclusion, with promising potential for integration into healthcare systems.

Anita Jensen, Arts + Health Strategist, Region Skåne & Lund University © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

Interactive workshops followed, giving attendees a firsthand experience of AoP methodologies. Facilitated by local artists and AoP participants from Bremen, the workshops included:
1. Poetry of Everyday Life – Harnessing words to explore daily experiences.
2. Improvisational Theatre – Building confidence through spontaneous performance.
3. Singing for Joy – Breaking barriers to self-expression through voice.
4. Spatial Drawing – Fostering creativity through visual art.

Workshop – Improv theatre © Ralph Seifert, vhs Bremen

Workshop – Poetry of everyday life © Ralph Seifert, vhs Bremen

Workshop – Spatial drawing © Ralph Seifert, vhs Bremen

Workshop – I actually like singing, but… © Ralph Seifert, vhs Bremen

The day concluded with vibrant group discussions and a plenary session on making arts and health initiatives more appealing and accessible to cultural professionals.
Discussions focused on:

1. Role of Facilitators: Specialized training and support are vital for working with mental health through arts. (Bremen AoP model highlighted structured facilitator roles.)
2. Why Art is Healthy: Art fosters emotional expression, relaxation, and social connection, enhancing mental well-being. (Durchatmen/Take a Deep Breath showcased conscious breathing and healthy tone production as a complementary regeneration support)
3. Opportunities for the Cultural Sector: Collaboration with health sectors opens new action fields for cultural actors, requiring investment and shared frameworks. (More Light! illustrated cultural institutions’ expanded roles.)

Takeaway from group discussions: Arts and health initiatives thrive on trained facilitators, effective collaboration, and leveraging art’s and culture’s potential for health and wellbeing!

Day 2 Highlights: Deepening Collaboration and Innovation

The second day continued the momentum with focused sessions for project partners, twinning collaborators, and arts facilitators. Highlights included:

• Interactive exchanges led by facilitators from Turku University of Applied Sciences, offering practical strategies for integrating arts into health interventions.
• A deep dive into the work of the Norwegian Resource Centre on Arts and Health, and it’s initiative to implement and Arts on Prescription programme in Norway
• Insights into the Fellowship in Focus (FiF) framework, developed by Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark and Design School Denmark. to promote fellowships among groups of people sharing similar experiences.

Marit Stranden, Norwegian Resource Centre on Arts and Health © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

Millie Kealy-Jensen, Odense Kommune presenting Fellowship in focus (FiF) – The Region of Southern Denmark, SDU and Design School DK © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

A Shared Vision for Arts and Health

The event was more than just a gathering; it was a catalyst for change. Participants left with a renewed sense of purpose, enriched by the exchange of ideas and practical tools to strengthen the connection between arts and health. From the evidence presented to the emotional power of the workshops, the seminar illuminated the transformative potential of arts in promoting well-being.

As the project progresses, the Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region project continues to build a robust foundation for cross-sectoral collaboration, ensuring that cultural participation becomes an integral part of health journeys across Europe. Stay tuned for the project’s upcoming milestones, including the release of a comprehensive online Arts on Prescription Guide providing how-to-guides, fact sheets, lessons learned and audiovisual guidance for link workers, culture and arts facilitators, and decision-makers on various aspects of setting up, monitor, evaluate and finance an Arts on Prescription programme.

Shared vision of Arts on Prescpription initiatives across the EU © Angelo Gilles, REM Consult

The event has been co-financed by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021 – 2027 in the frame of the Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region project.

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