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.
