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European Culture and Health Hub brings arts and culture into EU health agenda
The Netherlands and Europe are facing growing pressures on mental health and wellbeing, alongside rising levels of loneliness, social isolation, and the challenges of an ageing population. The arts and culture can play a role in addressing those issues, though that is still overlooked in mainstream health policy. With the launch of the European Culture and Health Hub, a new Horizon Europe project, twenty organizations from thirteen European countries will collaborate over the next three years to strengthen the connection between culture, healthcare, and the social domain. Coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the project brings together 20 organisations including 15 project partners and 5 associated partners, across 13 European countries. Arts in Health Groningen will represent the Netherlands in the consortium.

‍Culture as part of health and wellbeing
The European Commission’s 2025 report, Culture and Health: Time to Act, calls on the EU and Member States to support population health and wellbeing with cultural collaborations across the health, culture, and social domain sectors. A three-year Horizon Europe project called the European Culture and Health Hub launches in June 2026 to facilitate such arts in health collaborations. 

According to research from the World Health Organization, the arts can support psychological wellbeing and strengthen community resilience by helping people connect with the places they live, and with each other. Participation in the arts is also linked to improved mental and emotional health and improved health resilience. The Netherlands has begun using that evidence to steer arts in health projects, education, and research that advances the Dutch field.

Project kick-off in Groningen               
Arts in Health Groningen represents the Netherlands in this European consortium, and will host the kick-off of the European Culture and Health Hub on From September 1-3, Arts in Health Groningen hosted the kick-off of the European Culture and Health Hub (ECHH) in Groningen. The kick-off started on September 1 with a public lecture by Daisy Fancourt, Professor at the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UNESCO Chair in Arts & Global Health, and Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health. The lecture was organised in collaboration with Studium Generale Groningen.

The following two days, project partners met at the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health of the . Through workshops, interactive sessions and discussions, partners got to know each other, shared experiences and perspectives, and started building the foundations for collaboration across culture, health and the social sector. Together, they began working on strengthening the evidence base, exploring cross-sectoral practices, and developing practical tools and approaches to support the field.

“Arts engagement is increasingly recognised as a health-promoting behaviour, and there are some fantastic programmes happening across the European region putting the evidence base into practice. ECHH is poised to catalyse the field by synthesising and advancing the evidence base and translating the evidence into new programmes and policy.” says Professor Daisy Fancourt, University College London‍

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An international hub to accelerate national change
The European Culture and Health Hub will build connections among EU arts in health researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, and facilitate innovative health collaborations. The Hub will be developed with policymakers, practitioners, researchers and local communities, to ensure that it responds to real-world needs. The Hub will map the scientific evidence, and gaps in that evidence, for the arts in health field. It will also offer practical policy guidance for national, regional, and local decision makers.

Horizon activities will include evaluating arts in health projects in multiple countries (including the Netherlands), supporting regional capacity-building, and helping stakeholders implement evidence-based practice.

“Decision-makers in the sectors of healthcare and culture were traditionally quite separate, but now recognise that they have shared values, and that they can help each other,” says Dr. Ferdinand Lewis, Director of Science and Education for Arts in Health Groningen. “The Horizon project and the Hub will be a big step toward making real collaborations between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners from both sectors.”

Get involved
Throughout the project, there will be several opportunities to get involved and contribute. Through webinars, national policy meetings and cross-sector exchanges, ECHH will create opportunities to share experiences, build partnerships and contribute to the development of cultural and health policies across Europe. Stay up to date by completing this form.

Project partners 

• Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland),
• University College London (United Kingdom)
• The Center for Primary Health Care Research Region Skåne (Sweden),
• Culture Action Europe (Belgium),
• EuroHealthNet (Belgium),
• University of Porto (Portugal),
• Cultural Welfare Center ETS (Italy)
• Cultura en Vena (Spain)
• Nord University (Norway)
• Arts in Health Groningen (Netherlands)
• Latvian Academy of Culture (Latvia)
• Mozarteum University Salzburg (Austria)
• Cluj Cultural Centre (Romania)
• University of Southern Denmark (Denmark)
• Hope UK (United Kingdom)

The project is supported by various associated partners who contribute expertise, policy engagement, and cross-sector collaboration: Arts + Health Ireland / Réalta (Ireland), Secretariat of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (Latvia), United Cities and Local Governments (Spain), UNESCO (France), and the Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (Sweden).

More information
Interested organisations, professionals and artists are welcome to fill out this form to receive updates about the project.

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The Lancet articles on arts and health policy

Former president of Chile Dr. Michelle Bachelet has written an article for the Lancet’s Comment section arguing that the arts should be treated as a public good. Arguing that arts in health can support healthier, fairer, and more humane societies, Dr. Bachelet calls on governments to consider equitable cultural participation as part of the social infrastructure of health.

In the journal’s Viewpoint section, Dr. Nisha Sajnani and her colleagues lay out an agenda for policy research for arts in health. To make sure policymakers can effectively formulate arts in health policies, they need a rich, high-quality evidence base. In this article, the authors outline four challenge areas that they recommend researchers to prioritize. These are: strengthening ethics and safeguarding, enhancing empirical rigour and economic evaluation, embracing methodological pluralism, and addressing the uneven global distribution of evidence.

A peer-reviewed study by Professor Daisy Fancourt and colleagues offers a series of  ‘roadmaps’ to guide the integration of the arts into healthcare practice, policy, and research. Along with the recent publication of her book, The Art Cure, Fancourt is also part of the “European Culture and Health Hub” of Horizon Europe, a 14-country investigation into the effectiveness of arts in health programs across the EU. Arts in Health Groningen represents the Netherlands on that project, conducting field research and helping to develop tools for arts in health policymakers.  

Photo essay launch at the Guggenheim

The Jameel Arts & Health Lab also launched a photo essay alongside the Lancet Global Series. The event took place at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on September 24, 2025, as part of UNGA Healing Arts Week. The photo essay brings together images of arts and health initiatives from around the world. It highlights the potential of the arts to support health and well-being, including in under-represented communities and complex care environments. The launch brought together representatives from the Guggenheim, The Lancet, WHO, and Community Jameel, alongside artists, researchers, and health practitioners.

The digital versions of the four articles are now available at no cost to account holders, and accounts can be created by anyone.

What arts in health programs are available?

There are several ways to explore arts in health in the Netherlands. Some programs offer brief introductions to the field, while others offer minors, electives, or practice-based projects. For artists, healthcare professionals, educators, and social care professionals who want to deepen their expertise in arts in health, there are further opportunities. In several courses, training programs, and summer schools you can expand your knowledge and skills.

In arts in health programs, you can learn, for example, how to: 

• use the arts responsibly in healthcare settings 
• collaborate with professionals from different disciplines 
• consider artistic quality and the needs of participants

Opportunities for Students

Maybe you want to become an artist or designer. Or perhaps a healthcare professional, researcher, or educator. Maybe you’re not yet sure which direction you want to take, but you’re excited by the idea that creativity can support health and well-being. Arts in health brings those worlds together.

Through a course, a degree program, a summer school, a minor, or a practice-based academic project, you can discover how the arts contribute to recovery, resilience, and quality of life. You can collaborate with students from other disciplines, gain hands-on experience in healthcare and social care settings, and explore how creativity is becoming part of the future of care.

Courses | Would you like to explore arts in health before committing to a degree program? A course or summer school is a great place to start. You’ll be introduced to the field and discover how the arts and healthcare collaborate to support quality of life.

Arts in Health Groningen Summer School

Bachelor’s programs | Looking for a bachelor’s program where the arts and healthcare come together? These programs offer opportunities to collaborate with healthcare organizations, develop creative interventions, and conduct practice-based research.

• Design for Change and Innovation: Practice-based education and research at Reinaerde’s De Heygraeff day center in Woudenberg (HKU University of the Arts Utrecht)
• REVA-beats:  Research program at the Prins Claus Conservatoire, Groningen
• Music – Music & Dementia: Royal Conservatoire The Hague

Master’s programs | Already have a bachelor’s degree and looking to specialize in the intersection of the arts and health care? Consider one of these master’s programs:

• Interrelational Art Practices (iRAP): Minerva Art Academy, Groningen
• Music in Society: Conservatorium van Amsterdam
• Arts Education – Arts and Healthcare: Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Tilburg

Opportunities for Professionals

A range of organizations offer courses, training programs, and other professional development opportunities, including:

• Arts to Promote Well-being in Health Care – Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
• Music and Movement for Older Adults – Conservatorium van Amsterdam
• Music for Older Adults – Music Develops
• Arts in Health Summer School – Arts in Health Groningen
• In-company Training for Health Care Professionals – Dans op Recept, Leeuwarden
• Training Programs for Health Care Professionals and Musicians – Embrace Nederland, Leeuwarden
• Training and Peer Learning for Workshop Leaders, Educators, and Musicians – Muzorgski

Why invest in professional development?

Arts in health is a rapidly evolving field. More and more artists and health care professionals are working together to support health and wellbeing. This requires not only expertise within your own discipline, but also an understanding of each other’s ways of working, the ability to collaborate across disciplines, and knowledge of the healthcare context.

Professional development helps you build that expertise, which helps to further professionalise the field in the Netherlands, and make arts in health education more widely available.

View the complete overview

This is just a selection of the available programs for students and professionals. The overview is authored by Marie-José Kommers, Advisor at LKCA, and reflects the first version, up to date as of October 2026. Download the complete overview for all bachelor’s and master’s programs, courses, locations, and study load.

Is your program missing from this overview? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at info@artsinhealth.nl.

A practical example: Minerva Art Academy

What does arts in health look like in practice? Students from Minerva Art Academy created four artworks for the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), including the rooftop mural on the Beatrix Children’s Hospital. These artworks contribute to an environment that supports children and their families with moments of distraction, hope, and comfort.

Awarded an OCW subsidy, the Arts in Health Netherlands network takes the next step toward giving art a permanent place in Dutch healthcare.

Thanks in part to a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, a national network of partners has joined forces to structurally integrate arts and culture into the Dutch healthcare and welfare sector. The financial support enables the network to begin realizing the ambitions outlined in the white paper, Arts in Health in the Netherlands: A Nationala Agenda.

"This is what we've been working towards for years," says Kirsten Krans, a founding member of Arts in Health Netherlands. "It's wonderful to be able to take the next step together to structurally integrate arts and culture into our healthcare system." The national agenda of Arts in Health Netherlands aligns with the transition from cure to care, with a focus on person-centered care and positive health.

National network

The national network brings together a unique coalition of organizations from healthcare, social welfare, arts and culture, education, and research.
Representatives from organizations include Kunsten '92, the University Medical Center Groningen, Codarts, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the National Knowledge Centre for Cultural Education and Amateur Arts (LKCA) , AxionContinu, Kunstloc Brabant, ROC Amsterdam, the Municipality ofTilburg, Vilans, Cultuur Oost, Raad van Twaalf, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, the University of Groningen, and the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health.

Four pillars and intersectoral collaboration

At a launch meeting on November 28th 2025, the focus was on developing a shared vision for the future of the field. The diverse range of experts involved—from healthcare professionals and artists to researchers and policymakers––will support the ‘four pillars’ of the Arts inHealth field in the Netherlands: policy, practice, education, and research.

The participants particularly emphasized the need for intersectoral collaboration between health and culture. As the healthcare sector transitions toward more human and compassionate care, and the cultural sector argues for greater social relevance for the arts, the Arts in Health Netherlands network will help to strengthen both sectors and build bridges between them.

Four work packages

The network’s long-range goal is to sustainably embed the arts in our national healthcare system. To accomplish this, four work packages have been created to address each of the four goals of the national agenda (policy, practice, education, and research). The work packages will: establish a national knowledge platform; define professional competencies and a training network; formulate policy to promote Arts in Health; and establish a national research agenda for the field.

The forms of arts in health practice

Participatory arts in health projects focus on supporting well-being. The goal is to help people relax, feel less alone, and to live in an active, curious, and engaged way. For example, artists encourage art-making among patients in hospitals, among healthcare workers, and with people in the community. While there is some training for participatory arts in health practice in the Netherlands, it currently has no national certification or professional register.

Creative arts therapy can be a form of treatment as well as support for general wellbeing. Most often, creative arts therapies have specific health goals. Creative arts therapists use art-making as treatment, for example, for psychological issues or rehabilitation. Creative arts therapists can do participatory arts as well, but they are trained and nationally registered as therapists. 

Some examples

More and more arts practices are finding a place in the lives of long-term care residents, and numerous wonderful initiatives are under way. Other examples include the work of artists Sjaak Langenberg and Rose de Beer, who are setting up unique initiatives across the Netherlands. Dutch arts in health initiatives vary in form, but they all create space for contact, imagination and wellbeing. 

There are plenty of examples at the organisational level too. Vitalis in Eindhoven has worked with an art coordinator for 25 years and currently employs three. AxionContinu has 15 years of experience working with an art coordinator. In Amsterdam, Cordaan's Ambulant Kunstteam brings artists into neighbourhoods, where they make art together with residents. Art programmes can also be found in mental healthcare and in care for people with disabilities, such as at Lister and Reinaerde.

Arts in Health Groningen is using pilot projects to build a permanent place for the arts in healthcare in the North, for example with arts programs for staff at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and through the Buur & Boek community program with  NOORDWOORD, using shared reading and creative writing to bring neighbourhood residents together. At Dijklander Hospital too, live music is becoming a regular part of in-patient care.

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For arts in health professionals

Arts in health programmes often begin as pilots, which are opportunities to make visible what effects the arts can have on people’s wellbeing. Arts in health pilots answer the questions of sceptics, and help planning for permanent, sustainable programmes. 

Do you work in a healthcare institution?

If you are thinking about creating a participatory arts in health pilot in an organisation or institution, begin by taking note of where the arts might support well-being as part of the regular day. Find others who are excited by the idea, and who can help you make connections. Decide who the pilot’s participants will be. Start small, create a budget, and document all of your work.

Are you an artist or maker?

If you want to propose a project in a community, long-term care facility, or hospital, begin by finding out as much as you can about what activities already happen there, and learn how existing programs shape the lives and work of people there. Are there particular challenges being addressed there that you could support? What types of care do the people there actually need? Find people who are open to your idea and who will connect you to others in the community or organisation. 

You don't have to develop an arts in health project from scratch. A good way to begin is to imagine how the work that you already do could give care and support to people who need it. Whatever art form or approach you use, it should be appropriate for the participants and the setting.

What Arts in Health Netherlands does 

Arts in Health Netherlands connects people and organisations committed to building the field in this country. Our work is organised around four themes: practice, research, policy, and education. Our members bring their experience, knowledge, and networks to one or more of those themes. This is building a solid field in the Netherlands, step by step. While practitioners from many organisations are involved in AiHN, three organisations are currently taking the lead in building content for the practice theme:

• Kunstloc Brabant
• AxionContinu
• LKCA

Knowledge from practice

To gain a better understanding of practice in the Netherlands, the practice group has developed an inventory of practices that assembles over 220 arts in health initiatives. The report shows where initiatives have taken place, the types of collaborators involved, and the themes, target groups, and types of funding. It also shows which factors contribute to successful and sustainable arts in health practices. Together, they offer an initial overview of where the field currently stands and what is needed to develop it further.

Read the blog

Effective elements in art, care, and well-being

Which factors make arts in health successful? Based on a survey of professionals from the care, well-being, and culture sectors, this report describes effective elements, preconditions, and recommendations for sustainable practice. 

Read the blog

Read more

• Boeken over arts in health
• Academische tijdschriften
• Rapport: volgende stap voor arts in health-netwerk
• Culture for Health and Well-being Compendium
• Arts Council Ireland, arts in health Handbook

Want to actively contribute to Arts in Health? Soon you will be able to join the alliance. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.

Arts in health is a new and fast-growing field in the Netherlands. The field needs professionals who are creative, entrepreneurial, and with a passion for both the arts and care. The emerging generation of Dutch arts in health professionals must work across disciplinary boundaries, and in a variety of care environments. A growing number of educational institutions  are bringing students from the arts, healthcare, and social work together to share learning, conduct research, and gain practical experience to build the field. 

What is an arts in health professional?

Arts in health professionals work at the intersection of the arts, healthcare, and social care. Because the field is multi-disciplinary and still evolving here, there is no single profile for a Dutch arts in health professional. A competency framework was drafted  by a group of educators from around the country as a starting point for discussions about what an arts in health professional needs to know. Read more about the framework and download the full document in our article on arts in health competencies.

Arts in health education

Because the arts in health field is growing in the Netherlands, more and more universities, HBO’s and MBO’s are offering degree programs, minors, modules, and certificates on arts in health topics. These can be found in fields such as the visual arts, care ethics, nursing, spiritual care, and the medical humanities.

Examples include:

• The University of Groningen’s annual Arts in Health Summer School, combining practical and theoretical insights into participatory practice.
• The Prins Claus Conservatoire, which offers opportunities for education and research on music in health care.
• Creative Arts Therapy Netherlands, which offers certified programs for professionals who want to specialize in therapeutic applications.
• Online courses from University College London, King’s College London, and the Royal Society for Public Health.

Which programs and courses are available?

The Dutch arts in health education landscape has been documented, identifying both existing opportunities and the remaining educational gaps. Here you will find an overview of the current offerings (last updated: July 2026).

Arts in Health Netherlands

Arts in Health Netherlands connects people and organizations working to strengthen the field across the Netherlands. To help the field grow, we focus on four themes: practice, research, policy, and education. Each theme brings together people who contribute their expertise, experience, and networks. Together, we are building a strong foundation for arts in health in the Netherlands.

The Education Working Group currently includes representatives from:

• HKU University of the Arts Utrecht
• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
• ROC of Amsterdam and Flevoland
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• LKCA – Dutch Knowledge Institute for Cultural Education and Amateur Arts
• CliniClowns
• Codarts Rotterdam
• Arts in Health Groningen

Read more and get involved

• Books about Arts in Health
• Website Vaktherapie Nederland
• Culture for Health and Well-being Compendium
• Arts Council Ireland, Arts in Health Handbook

Want to contribute to the development of arts in health education in the Netherlands? The alliance is coming. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.

A conversation starter for arts in health education and professional development

More and more artists, healthcare professionals, and educators are working together in arts in health. This calls for professionals who can work at the intersection of the arts, health care, and social care. But what knowledge, skills, and attitudes does that require?

To explore this question, members of the Education Working Group of Arts in Health Netherlands drafted an initial competency framework for arts in health professionals. The document is based on practical experience and conversations with professionals from the arts, healthcare, social care, creative arts therapies, and education. Rather than serving as a definitive professional profile, it is intended as a shared guide to support conversations about education and professional development

Why a competency framework?

Arts in health is a young and rapidly evolving field in the Netherlands. More and more educational programs are exploring the connection between the arts, healthcare, and social care, and the practice of arts in health is creating a growing demand for professionals who understand both worlds.

Yet, there is no shared language for describing the competencies that arts in health professionals need. This framework identifies competencies that practitioners consider most important, and provides a starting point for the further development of education and professional development.

How was the framework developed?

The competency framework was developed by researchers using qualitative methods to analyse three national roundtable discussions with Dutch professionals working in arts in health, the arts, healthcare, social care, creative arts therapies, and education. An initial analysis of the data was conducted, then shared with the Education Working Group of Arts In Health Netherlands for expert panel review and comment.

The framework is grounded in professional experience and reflects what practitioners across the Netherlands have identified as essential to their work.

How can you use this framework?

The framework is intended as a practical resource and a starting point for discussion for anyone involved in arts in health, whether in education, practice, or research.

It can be used to:

• inform development of new educational programs or to strengthen existing ones
• reflect on individual or collective professional development
• support future research on arts in health professionals

These competencies are meant as a conversation starter rather than a checklist or a definitive profile for arts in health professionals. They provide a shared foundation that will continue to evolve as the field itself develops.

What competencies does an arts in health professional need in practice? Below, we explore the five interconnected competency domains, illustrated with examples from practice.

What competencies does an arts in health professional need?

Working at the intersection of the arts, healthcare, and social care requires more than artistic or clinical expertise alone. It calls for professionals who can move between different worlds, collaborate across disciplines, and see the person behind the patient or participant.

To provide greater guidance, the Education Working Group of Arts in Health Netherlands drafted  a competency framework. The framework is intended as a conversation starter rather than a definitive professional standard, and it will continue to evolve with the field. 

The competencies are organized into five interconnected domains that together describe what the profession requires:

1. Put people first

An arts in health professional does not start with a method or art form, but with the person. This requires curiosity, careful attention, and the ability to respond to another’s needs. Ethics, relational practice, empathy, and a broad understanding of health form the foundation of the arts in health profession.

2. Make space for the creative process

Working with the arts in healthcare contexts means embracing uncertainty. Situations can change quickly in healthcare contexts, and so a creative session cannot be planned to the last detail. Professionals should be prepared to improvise and respond to what emerges during the process. That  openness can be a strength, creating space for new insights and more meaningful professional encounters.

3. Self-care is part of professional practice

Working with people who are ill, vulnerable, or facing life-changing experiences can be emotionally demanding. That is why self-reflection is just as important as creativity. Knowing your own boundaries, reflecting on your practice, and seeking support from colleagues are not optional - they are essential for sustaining your work over time. 

4. Working safely and responsibly

Arts in health often takes place in healthcare settings. This means professionals need more than artistic skills; they also need to understand how to work safely and responsibly. This includes respecting privacy, making ethical decisions, understanding any relevant healthcare protocols, and recognizing when situations require additional care and caution.

5. Help build the field

Arts in health is a rapidly evolving field. Professionals therefore contribute not only to practice, but also to the continued development of the field itself. This requires collaboration with others, curiosity, an inquiring mind, a sense of entrepreneurship, and understanding of the strengths and limits of arts in health practice.

A shared language

The five competencies above are not intended as a checklist or a definitive professional profile. Instead, they are offered as the basis for a professional language to be shared across arts in health education, research and practice, and in healthcare and the social domain. As the field continues to evolve, these competencies will evolve along with it.

Interested in arts in health education and training? Explore the available programmes and courses for students and professionals.

Arts in health professionals use a variety of approaches to support the wellbeing of healthcare patients and staff, in hospitals and also in long-term care facilities. This might include anything from listening to recordings to a live performance at a patient’s bedside, or  getting staff and families to sing and play along, and even improvising new music with patients and families. 

In hospitals
Music for health projects are enhancing the well-being of patients and staff in hospitals around the Netherlands. For instance, the Boedijn music school and Dijklander Hospital are collaborating on a multi-year partnership called Muziekmaatjes (Music Buddies), using live music to create moments of relaxation, escape, and joy, among pediatric patients and their parents. Another initiative specifically designed for children is "De Liedjesfabriek’" (The Song Factory), in which children write their own songs under the guidance of a music professional. Children from all over The Netherlands get to write and record their own song on the topic they choose and in the style of music they want. 

Music for health can even be found in hospital intensive care units. One example of this is the organisation MuzIC that works with interested hospitals throughout The Netherlands,  supporting the recovery of patients, which can minimize the health impacts of an ICU stay.  Also the organisation ‘Muziek aan bed’ (Music at the bedside) provides musical interventions on all hospital wards.

Outside the hospital
Music in health is also found in rehabilitation centers and hospices. For example,  the organization Muziek aan Bed brings live music to people living with dementia in nursing homes through its Muziek aan tafel (Music at the Table) program, where everyone sings along, conducts, or moves. Professional Arts in Health organizations such as Mimic and Embrace Nederland encourage music-making in institutions as well as in private homes. Embrace Nederland also works to build social cohesion in the social domain, for example, with its "Slagkracht" project. Both Embrace Nederland and Mimic provide workshops for healthcare professionals and informal caregivers, teaching them to incorporate music into their daily interactions with patients and families. 

What the science says
There is evidence that music contributes to recovery from illness, reducing pain, stress, anxiety, and depression. There are even indications that music can positively influence the immune system's responses.

In private homes, music in health professionals provide real support for people living with neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, or dementia.

Music appears to have positive effects on people with neurological disorders, activating the areas of the brain involved in thinking, feeling, movement, and emotion.

Research suggests that music can be a powerful tool to support the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and informal caregivers, by encouraging relaxation, building social connection, and helping staff to reflect on their work in new ways.

A study by Mimic suggests that music leads to stronger, positive contacts between patients and nurses, as well as an increase in compassion in nurses.

Professors Dick Swaab and Erik Scherder gave a lecture on Music and the Brain, which beautifully explains the positive health effects of music.

Organizations in the Netherlands in the field of Music in Health
There are many more organizations offering music in health services in hospitals, long-term care, and the social domain. Below is an overview: 

• Bedside Buskers
• Muziekids
• Zingen in de Zorg
• Hier is Muziek!
• Muziek voor de Zorg 
• Genetic choir
• REVA BEATS
• Stichting Muziek in Huis
• Zing mee in het Participatiekoor
• Bedside Singers – Zingen voor de ziel op reis) 
• MuzIC
• Mimic muziek
• ThuisMuziekZorg
• De Liedjesfabriek 
• Muziek Aan Bed

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This episode of The Health Curve Podcast explores the connection between art, creativity, the brain, and health. Host Dr. Jason Arora is joined by Susan Magsamen, a researcher and educator specialising in the relationship between the arts and the brain; Ruth Katz, a health policy expert focused on health, medicine, and society; and Sarah Lyding, President of The Music Man Foundation, which supports the use of music and the arts to improve health and wellbeing. Together, they discuss how music, movement, storytelling, and creative expression can influence brain function, reduce stress, support emotional wellbeing, and contribute to recovery. From dance and Parkinson’s to music and Alzheimer’s, the growing field of NeuroArts is turning something many of us intuitively feel into an area of scientific research. The conversation also asks a bigger question: what if the arts are not simply a luxury, but an essential part of health and wellbeing?

Listen to the episode

KoffieCo | Koffie bij de coassistent is de podcast voor en door studenten Medische Wetenschappen van het UMC Utrecht.

Gewapend met een kop koffie gaan coassistenten Tessa, Tiara en Doris het hele land door om artsen te interviewen. In deze aflevering gaan ze in gesprek met Daphne Voormolen, foetaal geneeskundige en groot kunstliefhebber, over de door haar zelf opgezette Stichting Kunst Salon en haar boodschap over hoe waardevol het is om de link te leggen tussen gezondheidszorg en de culturele sector en kunst in te zetten voor het medisch onderwijs, behandeling en gezondheid en welzijn in het algemeen.

Aflevering 127: Kunst in de zorg

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Podcastserie Amsterdam UMC | Waarom kunst in het ziekenhuis?  
9 afleveringen

Waarom raakt een kunstwerk je als je in het ziekenhuis bent, kan een gedicht je tot tranen roeren, troost muziek of roept een verhaal fijne herinneringen op? Word je een betere dokter als je naar kunst kijkt? Waarom wil een kunstenaar graag een werk voor het ziekenhuis maken? En waarom betrekken wetenschappers kunst in hun onderzoek? Ook na een lange loopbaan als curator in het Amsterdam UMC kon Sabrina Kamstra lang niet al die vragen zelf beantwoorden. Daarom vroeg ze patiënten, kunstenaars, curatoren, artsen, wetenschappers en studenten te reageren vanuit hun eigen invalshoek en achtergrond. Dit monde uit in het boek Waarom kunst in het ziekenhuis? met essays van verschillende auteurs en hun reflecties in de gelijknamige podcastserie.

In deze podcastserie komen patiënten, medewerkers, bezoekers en kunstenaars aan het woord. De geselecteerde kunstenaars hebben allen in opdracht een werk voor het Amsterdam UMC gemaakt.

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London Arts and Health | 6 episodes on social prescribing
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The series from London Arts and Health uncovers arts in health practices across the city of London, speaking to practitioners, funders, artists and participants about how they are working and benefitting from arts and health. The podcast has been created to celebrate the launch of the Arts and Culture: Social Prescribing Myth Buster. The myth buster aims to help everyone understand the role of arts and culture in social prescribing.

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The Arts for the Health of it podcast features more than 90 episodes.

Why do humans turn to the arts in times of crisis? How do the arts impact our health and well-being? What role do the arts play in the future of society?
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Hosts Catherine Particini and Andrea Sanderson (VOCAB) help you integrate the arts into everyday health and wellness practices through information, tips, how-to’s, and expert-led interviews on the subject.

The show explores the role of the arts in society, with special attention to the function of the arts in wellbeing. In one episode you might hear a lighthearted discussion about the health benefits of laughter; another introduces you to a local programme that brings artists together for community projects. Especially if you want to learn more about projects in America, or you are interested in the workings of ‘arts on prescription’ programmes for instance, then this show is for you!

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Creative Health Stories | 20 episodes

This series conveys what ‘creative health’ means to different people and in different contexts; how creativity helps to keep us well at a general, preventative level and how it supports chronic and long term health conditions. It highlights creative practices – professional, amateur and those we can do at home – which are helping to keep us well, and what needs to happen so that creativity, the arts and culture are more widely accessible.

This podcast series consists of interviews with professionals and scholars about their arts in health projects, findings, and experiences. The series also takes on the larger policy and ethical issues of arts in health, for example during the July 2024 episode in which Sir Michael Marmot was interviewed. Sir Michael discussed his work on the social determinants of health, and explains his argument that health equality requires creativity be available to everyone.

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Kunststof aflevering - NTR - NPO Radio 1
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Neuroloog en expert op het gebied van de ziekte van Parkinson, Bas Bloem, gaat in gesprek met hoogleraar ouderenparticipatie, Tineke Abma, over de heilzame werking van kunst op onze gezondheid. Het onderzoek naar kunst-als-medicijn heeft de laatste jaren een enorme boost gekregen. Nu is het volgens Abma tijd om kunst een veel grotere plek toe te kennen in de medische opleiding, in de spreekkamer en in zorginstellingen. Maar hoe?

Kunststof aflevering

Do arts interventions and creative engagement really make a difference in our lives and our brains? Recently, Susan Magsamen, the author of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, and Director of The International Arts and Mind Lab at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, was interviewed to discuss this exact question.

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This episode of When Science Finds a Way explores the science behind the arts as a tool for wellbeing, from research on singing to lived stories of healing and empowerment. In 40 minutes, we hear from leading scholar Daisy Fancourt, from a mother who participated in Breathe Melodies for Mums, and from the ever-inspiring artist Kunle Adewale. 

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The Evidence Behind Creative Health

Change within the health system is not possible without the buy-in of members of the public. This TEDx talk explores how the arts can improve physical and mental health, how engaging in creative activities can help you live longer, and how everybody is an artist.

Jane Hearst is the Research and Policy Manager at the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) in the UK, where she advocates for the role of arts and creativity in healthcare. Her work involves responding to NHS and Government evidence calls and supporting health systems in developing research based  strategies.

In this talk, she explores the evidence behind Creative Health and asks a simple but important question: if creativity can help us stay well, why do we so rarely think of it as part of our health toolkit? Combining research, storytelling and a challenge to rethink what counts as a health behaviour. Bringing the conversation to a wider public is important, because "Without you, the culture of health will not change."

In this documentary, healthcare professionals, artists, researchers and organisations share how the arts contribute to health and wellbeing in practice. The film explores how Arts in Health brings together healthcare, wellbeing and culture at a local level.

More than thirty years of international research shows that the arts can contribute to health and wellbeing. It can help prevent illness, strengthen social connection and improve quality of life.

More information: Why arts in health matters

This short and informative video from the UK discusses several arts in health projects, and research about the relationship between singing and mental wellbeing. The video features the experience of people with Parkinson’s disease who are part of a project that brings them on museum visits. The video includes clips from a music and movement workshop for people with Parkinson’s. We see them singing and dancing, and exploring what they can do rather than what illness prevents them from doing.

In this TEDx talk, Jill Sonke explores the relationship between creativity and care. As a practitioner, and current Director of the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, Sonke brings nearly three decades of experience to describing the impact of artistic expression on wellbeing. Using many engaging examples, she masterfully lays out the case for the introduction of the arts in healthcare. Dancing, live-music, and powerful anecdotes are followed up by straightforward summaries of the evidence for arts in health.

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This BBC News report interviews a patient at the Bethlem Royal Hospital psychiatric institution, about the art collection made by patients. The interviewee explores how drawing helps the patient to express themselves, and even points the way toward the end of treatment. "What arts does is give somebody free reign just to go into themselves and say this is what's like for me".

The Bethlem Royal Hospital continues to use art-making activities and hosts its own art gallery now too. The art gallery connects professional artists with patients and patients with art.

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One critique of arts in health research is that study sample sizes are too small, and so cannot represent a broader population. In this video, Daisy Fancourt, a leading scholar in the field, discusses her large-scale quantitative study of a range of effects of arts engagement on wellbeing. Her team’s longitudinal analysis of national data showed improved mental, physical and cognitive outcomes.