Social Prescription
The Mass Cultural Council's initiative enables healthcare providers to prescribe arts and cultural activities to improve patient health, supporting both community well-being and cultural organizations in Massachusetts.
Funder: Mass Cultural Council
Due Dates: Rolling (contact Art Pharmacy to join or partner)
Funding Amounts: Previous awards: $10,000/year per organization; current funding structures vary as program scales statewide.
Summary: Supports cross-sector partnerships to connect healthcare and cultural organizations, enabling healthcare providers to prescribe arts and cultural experiences for health and well-being.
Key Information: Program now scales via Art Pharmacy; open to new arts/cultural organizations and healthcare partners in MA.
Description
This initiative, led by the Mass Cultural Council, integrates arts and cultural experiences into the healthcare ecosystem as a means to improve physical and mental health outcomes. Originally piloted as CultureRx, the program partners with healthcare providers and cultural organizations to enable "social prescriptions"—referrals for patients to participate in arts, culture, or nature-based activities as part of their care plan. The model has evolved to prioritize health equity, community engagement, and sustainability, with the goal of making these services accessible and no-cost to patients while supporting the fiscal health of participating cultural organizations.
