The “Acting on Health” conference, organized by the NDPHS Secretariat as a Side Event to the NDPHS 17th Partnership Annual Conference, featured presentations from experts and “Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region” (AoP) project partners, policy discussions with high-level representatives, interactive artistic activities, and many opportunities for networking. Together with almost 100 participants from across Europe, the day marked a significant milestone in the progress of arts integration into public health systems and the growing momentum of social prescribing.

“I believe and know that AoP and Social Prescribing contribute to building a healthy and resilient society.”, in an opening statement said Marija Jakubauskienė, Minister of Health of Lithuania. Ms. Jakubauskienė’s  powerful message emphasized the nation’s dedication to innovative public health strategies and celebrated the value of the AoP project. Her strong support to arts role in improving mental health set an inspiring tone for the rest of the day. The conference was moderated by Nils Fietje, WHO Regional Office for Europe and hosted by the improv comedy theatre Ruutu10 from Estonia. The combination and delicate balance between expert discussions and creative artistic interventions was not a coincidence but a strategic concept designed to showcase how the two sectors enrich and empower each other. “Engaging in arts is a form of health behaviour. The impact on mental wellbeing is similar to physical activity.”, Nils Fietje, WHO Regional Office for Europe.

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A Play in Five Acts

The conference was structured into five distinct “Acts,” taking attendees on a journey from personal stories to high-level policy recommendations.

Act I: Stories From the Heart of Arts on Prescription

The opening session grounded the conference in the lived experiences of those directly involved in AoP.

• The Link Worker Perspective: Millie Kealy Jensen (Odense) reflected on the core of link work: listening, building trust, and supporting participants as they navigate social and emotional reconnection with their community.
• Facilitating Creativity: Karsten Auerbach (Psychiatric Hospital Odense) shared his evolution from offering art sessions in 2002 to the clinical pilot “Painting oneself out of a corner.” Karsten highlighted the value of safe spaces for creative exploration, describing art as a shared language that connects us all.
• Participant Voice: Sven Grewe (Bremen) shared a moving testament to the power of routine and social connection, detailing how joining an everyday-poetry group positively impacted his well-being.

Act II: Spotlight on Pilot Projects

The second act provided a comprehensive overview of how the AoP model was adapted across the Baltic Sea Region. Partners from Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Sweden presented key learnings from their three-year pilot programs:

• Latvia: Successfully utilized local heritage sites to reduce participant anxiety and build social connections despite diverse group dynamics.
• Sweden: Focused on long-term sick individuals, emphasizing the complex and essential role of the link worker in connecting participants to creative activities.
• Poland: Demonstrated the value of co-design when working with young adults (ages 16-29).
• Germany: Tested an innovative “inclusive model” where participants joined existing cultural courses, leading to sustained engagement beyond the prescription period.
• Denmark: Focused on the critical task of bridge-building between sectors through twinning and national network building.

Act III: Building Evidence & Strengthening Support Systems

To ensure scalability, AoP must be built on professional support and robust data. This session explored the infrastructure required for success.

Facilitating the Facilitators Dr. Ernests Pūliņš-Cinis addressed the mental health perspective for practitioners, outlining tools to prevent burnout and clearer criteria for referring participants to clinical specialists when necessary.

Evaluation & Impact University partners presented the core research findings:

• Quantitative & Economic: Carsten Hinrichsen & Isabelle Mairey (University of Southern Denmark) demonstrated measurable outcomes and cost-benefit insights essential for policymakers.
• Qualitative: Liisa Laitinen (Turku University of Applied Sciences) highlighted strengthened self-esteem, reduced loneliness, and a fostered sense of social cohesion among participants from a qualitative evaluation.

Act IV: Securing the Future through Sustainable Funding

The fourth act tackled the critical challenge of longevity: moving from short-term projects to sustainable, long-term financing. From “Cost” to “Investment” Nils Fietje challenged the traditional view of funding, framing AoP as a strategic investment in community health rather than an expense. The session explored the “economic ripple effects”—how funds invested in AoP stay in the local economy by employing facilitators and activating community venues.

Policy & Co-Financing

• European Perspective: Lina Papartyte (EuroHealthNet) discussed the European financial outlook, encouraging organizations to explore “Smart Capacitating Investment” models.
• National Strategy: Eglė Saudargaitė (Ministry of Culture, Lithuania) provided a crucial policymaker perspective on embedding social prescribing into long-term strategic documents, while acknowledging current barriers such as fragmented financing rules and lack of collaboration between ministries.

Act V: The Grand Finale – Envisioning a Sustainable Future

The day culminated in a forward-looking panel discussion, moving the conversation from “what is” to “what could be.” Bea Walker (National Academy for Social Prescribing, UK) led a discussion centered on expanding interventions and integrating the Art of Prescribing into the broader social prescribing framework, with the UK being highlighted as a frontrunner in this regard. Anna Enemark (Director of the Danish Cultural Institute) introduced the “Cultural First Aid Kit,” framing aesthetic practice as a tool for building mental resilience during crises. Atis Egliņš-Eglītis (Deputy Mayor of Cēsis) delivered a powerful message to municipal leaders: “Culture is democracy, economy, education, and health.”, while Neringa Grigutytė (Ministry of Health, Lithuania) provided the crucial link to national health policy. She discussed the reality of integrating social prescribing into national strategies and the arguments needed to convince health ministries to embrace arts-based interventions. As the concluding address for the conference Dr. Ülla-Karin Nurm (NDPHS Secretariat) shared the project’s core policy recommendations, urging a shift from “pilot mode” to embedding arts-based approaches into mainstream mental health care pathways. “By incorporating AoP into mental health strategies, we can achieve a triple return on investment—boosting wellbeing and social connectedness, increasing productivity, and supporting local economies. This is not just about culture or creativity. It is about designing smart, sustainable public health policy that recognises the social determinants of health and invests in prevention rather than cure. Across the Baltic Sea Region, we have the evidence, the partners, and the infrastructure. What we need now is the political will to embed this approach within national frameworks.”, concluded Dr. Nurm.

Throughout the day, the participants were engaged in multiple artistic activities—moving and playing instruments with Latvian musician Helēna Kozlova; traveling through human emotions and expressing them in drawings facilitated by Karsten Auerbach from Denmark; and even becoming the source of a poem written by Irish/Danish artist Madeleine Kate McGowan as a reflection of the day. This is yet another example of how culture and art, with the right facilitation, can create a safe and encouraging environment for participants and guide them through the activities, even without any prior knowledge or experience. The artistic engagements encouraged participants to unfold their own creativity and experience a glimpse of how arts and culture can impact and uplift our mental health and well-being.

Photos: Lelde Goba; Vygaudas Juozaitis

Video: Mārtiņš Kreilis