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The art forms included in the Art on Prescription Programme are the following:
A)Three-month Theatrical Activities including a Reflective Group Session
B) Three-month Visual Arts Activities including a Reflective Group Session
C. Three-month Dance Activities including a Reflective Group Session
D. Three-month Film Activities including a Reflective Group Session
E) Three-month Music Activities including a Reflective Group Session
F. Literature & Creative Writing Activities
I am a Beneficiary – How can I participate?
Process for joining an Art Activity
1. Beneficiaries of the programme must be at least six (6) years of age.
2. Beneficiaries participate in an art activity by obtaining a referral note for participation from the referring psychiatrist, psychiatrist-neurologist, or child psychiatrist; this referral is valid for six (6) months.
3. To participate in their chosen art activity, the beneficiary must submit the referral note to the Cultural Institution.
I am a Cultural Institution – How can I participate?
Requirements, participation, and onboarding process for Cultural Institutions
1.For the purposes of the programme, the following are indicative types of Cultural Institutions:
a) Archaeological, Byzantine, and Historical (Diachronic) Museums.
b) Museums of Modern Art.
c) Museums of Contemporary Art.
d) City Museums, Sports Museums.
e) Performing Arts Institutions (Theatre).
f) Dance and Choreography Institutions.
g) Cinema and Audiovisual Arts Institutions.
h) Orchestras, Concert Halls.
i) Cultural Foundations.
2. Within the framework of the programme’s implementation, the Ministry of Culture issues a Call for Proposals, inviting Cultural Institutions to apply.
3. Cultural Institutions wishing to participate must submit their proposals along with the supporting documents specified in the call. Each proposal must, at a minimum, include a description of the art activity to be implemented and the target group of beneficiaries (age and diagnostic category). Institutions are required to collaborate with a Mental Health Professional and an Artist, who will be responsible for the Art on Prescription activity.
4. An updated list of Cultural Institutions will be posted on the Art on Prescription website to keep all interested parties informed.
I am a Mental Health Professional – How can I participate?
Required and desirable qualifications and professional experience for participation
1. Mandatory Qualifications for Mental Health Professionals: The Mental Health Professional must possess:
a) Degree: A state-recognized degree from a national institution or an equivalent degree from a foreign institution recognized by Hellenic NARIC (DOATAP) or another competent authority in the following fields:
aa) Medicine with a specialization in Psychiatry or Child Psychiatry
ab) Psychology
ac) Social Work.
ad) Nursing with a specialization in Mental Health Nursing or Psychiatric Nursing.
ae) Occupational Therapy.
af) Health Visitors with a specialization in Psychiatric Nursing.
b) Professional License: A valid license to practice the profession.
c) Clinical Experience: Proven clinical experience of at least three (3) years in the field of mental health, relevant to the target population of the art activity. Clinical experience is not required for Psychiatrists/Child Psychiatrists. For all other categories, experience gained during undergraduate/postgraduate internships or during specialization/further training is not considered eligible clinical experience.
d) Group Facilitation Experience: Proven experience in coordinating/facilitating groups of general (vulnerable/sensitive) or psychiatric populations for at least three
(3) years, relevant to the age group of the activity (adults/minors).
2. Desirable Qualifications:
Beyond the mandatory requirements, the following qualifications may be requested as desirable: a) Psychotherapeutic Training: Training in individual or group psychotherapeutic approaches (Group, Systemic, Psychodynamic, Existential, Cognitive, Integrative, Art Therapy, etc.), obtained in Greece or abroad or b) Specialized Training: Further education in subjects related to Arts and Mental Healthor c) Postgraduate Degrees: Master’s or Doctoral degrees in relevant fields (Arts and Mental Health).
I am a Professional Artist – How can I participate?
Required and desirable qualifications and professional experience for participation
1. Mandatory Qualifications:
The Professional Artist must possess:
a) Degree: A degree relevant to the art activities of the Programme, from a state recognized national institution or an equivalent degree from a foreign institution recognized by Hellenic NARIC (DOATAP) or another competent authority. In the absence of a relevant degree, the following are required:
aa) Proven professional experience (e.g., experienced practitioners or self-taught artists, etc., who have been practicing their art for the last five years).
ab) Or, a Degree in Humanities or Pedagogical Studies, combined with postgraduate studies in Museology/Museum Education or Art History, complemented by postgraduate studies or specialized training in a form of Art or Art Therapy.
b) Professional Experience: Proven professional experience in socially engaged
artistic practice, relevant to the age group of the activity (adults/minors).
2. 2. Desirable Qualifications:
Beyond the mandatory requirements, the following qualifications may be requested as desirable:
a) Mental Health Training: Further education or training in the field of mental health.
b) Relevant Experience: Experience in activities related to mental health involving
general (vulnerable/sensitive) or psychiatric populations.
How are the Arts Activities Implemented?
Arts Activity Implementation Rules
1. Arts activities are designed and implemented jointly by a Mental Health Professional and an Arts Professional. Both professionals must be present throughout the activity and may be supported by assistants at the discretion of the Cultural Institution in charge.
2. The cultural/arts component of the activity is designed by the Arts Professional with the support of the Mental Health Professional, based on the specific age group and diagnostic category of the participants.
3. The duration of each Art on Prescription activity is three (3) months. The Cultural Institution may repeat the activity within the same year (Cycle B – additional three months).
4. The Reflective Group Session, depending on the activity's design, may take place immediately after the artistic event or within the following seven (7) days (e.g.,
in "ticket-set" cases).
5. Beneficiary groups are categorized by age as follows: a) Primary School students,
b) Junior High School students, c) High School students, d) Adults (18-30 years),
e) Adults (31-45 years), f) Adults (45-60 years), g) Adults (60+ years).
6. Beneficiary groups are categorized by diagnosis into:
a) Groups with neurotic disorders.
b) Groups with psychotic disorders.
I am a Mental Health Professional – How can I refer?
The referring physician monitoring the beneficiary holds exclusive responsibility for providing information, assessing suitability, and issuing the referral for the Art on Prescription programme.
The referring physician is informed about the arts activities via the websites of the participating cultural institutions and the official Art on Prescription website of the Ministry of Culture. The physician then issues a referral note for participation, specifying the selected arts activity and the cultural institution where it takes place, based on the age and diagnostic categorization of the beneficiaries.
During the implementation of the activity, the Mental Health Professional in charge has the right to terminate a beneficiary's participation in the arts activity on documented grounds, should they identify reasons for exclusion or other serious factors. In such cases, the cultural institution and the referring physician are informed.
The following individuals are not eligible to participate in the programme:
a) Those presenting severe psychopathology and/or self-harming or aggressive
behavior towards others.
b) Those in active substance addiction or withdrawal syndrome.
c) Those exhibiting behavior that could potentially disrupt group functioning.
d) Those placed under legal guardianship (full or partial).
How is Art on Prescription Issued via IDIKA SA?
A new examination category titled ARTS ACTIVITIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH has been created within the e-Prescription System maintained by IDIKA SA (Electronic Government for Social Security). This category includes a new examination also named "ARTS ACTIVITIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH" at zero cost, specifically for the Art on Prescription programme. This examination can only be prescribed for individuals with a psychiatric diagnoses of type F, according to the ICD-10 classification system. The right to prescribe the ARTS ACTIVITIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH examination is restricted to attending physicians with the following specialties: Child Psychiatrist, Neurologist-Psychiatrist, or Psychiatrist. Electronic referrals issued through the e-Prescription System for the Art on Prescription programme carry a unique barcode under the citizen insurance provider. These referrals are valid for six (6) months. A message informing the citizen is included on the printed referral or in the email sent to those who have activated digital prescribing. Patients who have activated digital prescription receive the relevant referrals via SMS on their mobile phone and/or via email.
The Ministry of Culture’s Art on Prescription Platform interacts with the e-Prescription System to retrieve referral data for arts activities and to notify the system once these referrals have been fulfilled through the Ministrys platform.