Art & Health: Cultural Prescribing
"Cultural Prescribing" is an approach and a practical framework of social support that recognizes cultural activities as essential to health, supporting people’s physical and mental wellbeing as well as social connection. Through participation in arts and cultural activities, it helps reduce loneliness and isolation and supports healthier lives and overall wellbeing.
News
Videos of the Program
Video: "Let's get started with Cultural Prescribing"
When people experience loneliness or isolation, art and culture can help bring people together. This video introduces Cultural Prescribing, a community-based approach that connects people with arts and cultural experiences to support wellbeing. Through creative activities and new social connections, it helps foster healthier, more connected lives.
- * If the video doesn't load, watch it on Vimeo：https://vimeo.com/1135953173
- Narration:
- Yamada Minori
- Artwork:
- Watanabe Issey
- Editing:
- Yamashiro Kohei / Nishide Yui
- Direction:
- Moriuchi Yasuhiro
- Production:
- RAKUDA STUDIO
- Planning and Production:
- National Center for Art Research / Tokyo University of the Arts
Web Magazine
-
"aa-tomo TODAY" is a web magazine operated by "aa-tomo", a project of the National Center for Art Research and Tokyo University of the Arts. We aim for this magazine to serve as a space for broad communication about our initiatives that harness the latent power of art and cultural activities, engage in collective thinking from various perspectives, and co-create the emerging future for everyone.
Exhibitions
We hold exhibitions collaborating with municipalities nationwide along with Tokyo University of the Arts to experimentally implement cultural prescribing in local communities. This exhibition allows visitors to learn about the concept and activities of cultural prescribing, experience related artworks, and reflect on their own cultural prescriptions.
-
KAWASAKI in photos
A participatory exhibition developed through co-creation by the National Center for Art Research, Tokyo University of the Arts, and the Kawasaki City Museum, drawing on the museum’s collection.(FY 2024, 2025)
-
Discover Cultural Prescribing! Hello Future! 100-Year Museum
The exhibition was presented as part of At Science: Connecting You to the Future—You Are a Creator of Tomorrow, organized by MEXT for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
References
Publications for learning and starting Cultural Prescribing.
-
A Cultural Prescribing Guide for Teens
-
A First Step into Cultural Prescribing
-
Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Well‑being (Summary Edition) [Japanese Version]
-
Creative Thinking in Museums: Arts‑Based Activities that Support Mental Well‑being [Japanese Edition]
-
Seeds of Cultural Prescribing
-
Museum Prescriptions: Practical Guidebook (Japanese Edition)
Collaboration and Co-Creation Across Industry, Government, and Academia
We promote cultural prescribing, a set of activities that support mental and physical wellbeing, through collaboration with local governments and cultural hubs such as museums. Based at Tokyo University of the Arts, this project is part of the Arts-Based Communication Platform for Co-creation to Build a Convivial Society (commonly known as the ART-based Platform for Co-creation), which brings together around 40 organizations from universities, national museums, local governments, and private companies. For details about the ART-based Platform for Co-creation, see the ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ page under ‘Collaboration & Co-Creation.
For more information about the "ART Satellite" initiative, please visit the "Diversity & Inclusion" section under "Connect & Collaborate."