People suffering from and coping with mental health problems are growing on a global scale. The health sector is struggling to address this growing need for psychosocial support therefore working interdisciplinary across sectors and with stakeholder at micro levels is vital to tackle this issue.

Arts on Prescription (AoP) is a community-based approach of improving the mental health and wellbeing of people by connecting them to artistic and cultural activities in group settings. This initiative has shown promising results in Denmark, Finland, Latvia, and Poland through the Interreg BSR project “Arts on Prescription in the Baltic sea Region“. The project has developed a concept for implementing AoP-activities on a municipal level that is adaptable to different local circumstances and resources and aligns well with the focus on mental health of The Norwegian National Strategy for Reducing Social Health Inequalities.

The “Arts on Prescription in Norway” project will explore how to develop, adapt and integrate the concept in the Norwegian healthcare system. The first step will be to identify relevant stakeholders who will learn from the experience of Interreg AoP project partners as well as Region Skåne in Sweden, who has a decade long experience from and research on AoP.

In addition, the plan is to invite actors from Estonia, Lithuania, Iceland and Greenland – countries that have not yet tested “Arts on Prescription” approach.

During the first project year (2024–2025), Norway established close cooperation with the Interreg AoP project and Region Skåne, benefitting from their long-standing experience. A national workshop gathered 40 participants from health, culture, research and policy sectors to analyse the suitability of AoP for Norwegian municipalities. Four municipalities – Bærum, Bergen, Sarpsborg and Verdal – anchored the concept locally and will commit to pilot AoP. The project also succeeded in engaging stakeholders from Estonia, Lithuania, Iceland and Greenland, who participated in exchange activities and expressed interest in exploring AoP in their own contexts.

The second year (2025–2026) shifts from preparation to practical implementation. The four Norwegian municipalities will launch pilot projects, targeting groups experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges, social isolation or school dropout. Regular knowledge-sharing meetings will support the pilot municipalities and keep Scandinavian and Baltic partners connected. A knowledge-transfer workshop will be facilitated for Estonian stakeholders to prepare for future AoP pilots. Insights and evaluation results from the Norwegian pilots will contribute to a growing international evidence base on arts, health and wellbeing.

The project is financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services