Project title
Description of initiative
Culture on Prescription is an Erasmus+ project that aims to prevent and combat social isolation and loneliness through art and culture. Cultural prescribing is the referral of a healthcare professional of lonely and isolated (older) people to locally available art and cultural offerings. It is a social intervention based on “social prescribing” practices, already implemented in the United Kingdom and Ireland with very positive results, and which aims to “prescribe” to participants experiences related to art, culture and social activities as a way to reduce social isolation and loneliness.
The project will introduce cultural activities facilitated by informal learning and training offers for adults. The consortium will develop and implement a study pilot in Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Germany and the Netherlands that aims to validate the Culture on Prescription intervention in these countries.
Further information on the initiative
Themes: Culture and...
Keywords
Target group
Cultural field
Timeframe
Sources of funding
Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
The project is currently ongoing ad still about to reach its middle, but some results can already be mentioned. Culture on Prescription is bringing together good practices and examples of social and cultural prescribing that are implemented worldwide into the Compendium “Health promotion through cultural learning experiences – Facts, figures and good practice”. With the help of trainers from different art areas, the organisers are now about to develop a training offer in 5 European countries and pilot the conduction of courses lasting 5 to 6 months, tested and evaluated by the participants and the trainers in each pilot location. Afterwards a combined training offer will be developed. The partners will also create a voucher ‘Culture on Demand’ for a free educational offer, aimed at developing the cultural strengths and talents of the participants. A virtual library is already available online and tools are under development to prepare, run and sustain learning experiences that will be available on an e-learning platform. Recommendations for decision-makers in municipalities and associations will also be produced and shared. With “Culture on Prescription” they aim to reduce loneliness and social exclusion among vulnerable population groups, such as older people living alone and feeling isolated, or marginalised people with mental health challenges. The organisers expect to combine culture and health promotion in the adult education field, facilitate and strengthen active and participatory involvement in cultural activities, raise social interaction by running pilot courses and develop the above mentioned outputs apt to be transferred to other locations in Europe.