Insights from the 6th partner meeting in Cēsis Municipality

On 6–7 March, Cēsis Municipality hosted partners of the Interreg BSR project Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region 2023–2025 from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. The aim of the meeting was to plan the project’s next activities and the implementation of the programme as a permanent cultural and health offering in all participating countries.

Over the course of two days, participants engaged in intensive discussions on the programme’s economic benefits and its impact on health. Key steps for the continuation of national and regional Arts on Prescription programmes were summarised. Project partners also had the chance to experience activities from the Cēsis Municipality’s Museum on Prescription pilot programme – including butter churning and a music improvisation workshop. Participants also visited several cultural sites in the region – the Cēsis Museum, the art space Mala, the Eduards Veidenbaums Museum Kalāči, and Skangaļi Manor.

The project began in 2023, with Cēsis Municipality as one of the partners implementing and adapting the Arts on Prescription generic concept to the Museum on Prescription programme. Three pilot cycles of the programmes have been carried out. The programme is designed for people facing mild to moderate mental health challenges – such as those experiencing traumatic events, relationship loss, loneliness, depression, burnout, increased stress, and other life difficulties. Its goal is to support participants’ wellbeing and mental health, boost joy in life, and offer an opportunity to break away from daily routine. As part of the programme, individuals can be referred by medical or social workers to take part in regular group-based cultural and artistic activities to improve their psychological wellbeing. In Cēsis Municipality, referring institutions include Cēsis Clinic, Cēsis Municipal Social Services, and the Senior Home of Līgatne Rehabilitation Centre. Self-referral is also possible if someone feels the need for emotional support through non-medical means.

Over the three pilot cycles in Cēsis, more than 40 participants joined the programme free of charge. Each programme lasted 8–11 weeks, during which participants met once or twice a week. The content was created by the museums of Cēsis Municipality in collaboration with artists and craftspeople. Participants had the opportunity to explore the Cēsis Museum, Cēsis Exhibition Hall, Āraiši Archaeological Museum Park, Kārlis Skalbe’s Memorial Museum Saulrieti, and the Eduards Veidenbaums Museum Kalāči. The sessions offered a range of cultural and artistic activities – such as excursions, theatre, poetry, music, arts and traditional craft-making, learning practical skills, and even a meeting with an actor from the New Riga Theatre.

For more information on the Arts on Prescription / Museum on Prescription Programme in Cēsis Municipality, please visit: https://www.cesis.lv/lv/attistiba/projekti/aktualie/443-nosutijums-uz-kulturas-aktivitatem-baltijas-juras-regiona-ar/

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