International Arts on Prescription Collaborative Launches with Strong Global Momentum

On 7 November 2025, the newly established International Arts on Prescription Collaborative (IAPC) held its inaugural online meeting — marking a major milestone for the global arts and social prescribing movement.

The launch brought together 22 attendees from 12 countries, including England, Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Catalonia (Spain), Portugal, Iran, France, Belgium, Greece, Iceland and the USA. The diverse representation signalled both the energy behind Arts on Prescription (AoP) and the increasing demand for shared global collaboration, learning and advocacy.

A Global Movement Taking Shape

Participants recognised that the timing is significant: there is a growing international wave around Arts on Prescription, and this new collaborative aims to help shape, organise and amplify that momentum. Key themes emerging from the first meeting included:

Collecting and Demonstrating Impact

Members identified the need to:

• Systematically capture achievements, case studies and outcomes
• Share evidence and best practice across borders
• Strengthen the case for cost-effectiveness and value for money

Connections with academic leaders — such as Dr Daisy Fancourt (UCL) — will help members remain informed on new evidence and developments.

Sharing Knowledge and Advocacy

Members highlighted the importance of:

• Comparing approaches to policy influencing and government engagement
• Demonstrating that social prescribing extends beyond health, contributing to education, workforce development and justice
• Presenting Arts on Prescription as a global movement, not isolated national efforts

An international voice was seen as a form of soft power, strengthening credibility in conversations with policymakers and major institutions.

Building a Connected Community

The group discussed practical structures for ongoing collaboration:

• Lightning updates from each member every meeting (15–20 minutes)
• Meetings held every 6 weeks
• Open membership for people working in non-profit or publicly funded organisations

Although the group is new, an initial landscape analysis by the National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP) indicated that no other global AoP network currently exists — reinforcing the value and unique role of this initiative.

Defining Arts on Prescription – Together

A shared priority is agreeing a strong, internationally understood definition of Arts on Prescription (AoP). While frameworks such as the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Project and its newly launched online AoP guide offer a strong starting point, participants suggested that a future e-Delphi process could:

• Refine a universal definition
• Establish consensus around effective ways to measure outcomes—both qualitative and quantitative

Clarity of definition will also support communications, advocacy, academic alignment and programme consistency worldwide.

About the International Arts on Prescription Collaborative

The IAPC exists to:

• Share learning and updates internationally
• Strengthen relationships and cross-border partnerships
• Raise the profile and credibility of Arts on Prescription
• Speak with a unified global voice
• Support and motivate those working in the field
• Coordinate events and avoid duplicated effort

Membership is open to:

• ISPC members
• Academics, practitioners, clinicians, cultural leaders, commissioners and others working in non-profit or statutory environments

Commercial or profit-making organisations are not currently eligible.

The collaborative is currently unfunded and operated voluntarily. NASP serves as secretariat, with meetings chaired by Charlotte Osborn-Forde, CEO of NASP.

Join the IAPC Collaborative

If you are working in Arts on Prescription or social prescribing within a non-profit, academic, cultural, community or public sector setting, you are warmly invited to join the International Arts on Prescription Collaborative. Join us and help strengthen the global voice of Arts on Prescription!

Meetings take place every 6 weeks on Fridays, 10-11am (UK time).

By joining, you will:

• Connect with colleagues around the world
• Share resources, insights and case studies
• Contribute to a growing global movement
• Help shape the future of Arts on Prescription

The next meeting is scheduled for the 19 December at 10am.

If you would like to become part of the network, email Beatrice Walker, Strategic Project Manager at the National Academy of Social Prescribing: bea.walker@nasp.info 

Become also part of the NASP’s Social Prescribing Innovation Network: https://ow.ly/h3xc50WIfcG

Joining the network allows you to be part of the movement to create transformational activity across the social prescribing sector. It empowers those delivering social prescribing to connect, collaborate and overcome challenges.

Follow NASP on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-academy-for-social-prescribing/about/

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