INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ARΤ ΟΝ PRESCRIPTION

Programme Overview

The programme is structured around three thematic pillars:

• Foundations and Inspiration
  Speeches, masterclasses, and workshops presenting international documentation, scientific evidence, and the core principles of Art on Prescription.
• Experience and Practice
  Presentations of pilot activities, audiovisual material, experiential sessions within cultural spaces, and the beneficiaries’ perspective, emphasizing what works in practice and what requires adjustment.
• Policy and the Future
  European dialogues, international collaborations, and the drafting of a roadmap for Art on Prescription, with the participation of European organizations, networks, and policy representatives.

Alongside the main programme, the following were available throughout the conference:

• Poster sessions showcasing Art on Prescription activities from various cultural institutions across the country.
• Group visual arts representations.
• Creative expression spaces.
• Accessibility and translation support services.

Conference Objectives

The conference went beyond a simple presentation of works. It aimed to:

• Link culture and mental health at an institutional level.
• Translate research into actionable practices.
• Create sustainable partnerships at both national and European levels.

It served as a forum where experience, evidence, and policy were discussed collectively, with the shared goal of developing complementary forms of care through culture.

International Guest Speakers & Experts

• Dr. João Breda – Head of the WHO Athens Quality of Care & Patient Safety Office, Special Representative & Officer in Charge in Greece
• Professor Daisy Fancourt MA(Oxon) MM PhD FHEA FRSA FRSPH – Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology; Head, Social Biobehavioural Research Group; Director, National Centre for Social Prescribing Data & Analysis; Director, WHO Collaborating Centre on Arts & Health
• Professor Vicky Karkou (they/them), PhD, MD (honoris causa), MEd, PgDip, BEdSc – Professor, Arts and Wellbeing, Edge Hill University; Director, Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing
• Nils Fietje – Regional Advisor, WHO Europe, Culture, Health and Public Policy in Europe
• Kornelia Kiss – Senior Policy Advisor, Culture Action Europe

European OMC Representatives

• Teresa Mafalda Rocha Macedo Santos Silva Folque Ferreira (Mafalda Folque) – Ministry of Culture, Portugal
• Ana Zão – Ministry of Health, Portugal
• Edith Wolf-Perez – Arts for Health Austria
• Monica Urian – European Commission, DG Education & Culture

Participating Greek Speakers

• Dr. Lina Mendoni – Minister of Culture of Greece
• Adonis–Spyridon Georgiadis – Minister of Health of Greece
• Nikos Stefanis, MD, PhD, FRANZCP – Professor of Psychiatry, NKUA; Scientific Lead, Greek AoP Prescription Programme
• Margarita Alexomanolaki, PhD, MA, Mmus – Head, Directorate of Performing Arts and Cinema, Ministry of Culture
• Mariana Bozapalidou, PhD, MMus – Musicologist, “The Other’s Shoes” Thessaloniki Concert Hall

Conference Committees

• Organizing Committee
  Chair: Nikos C. Stefanis
  Members: Margarita Alexomanolaki, Eleni Giannoulis, Eleni Kavadia, Markella-Elpida Tsichla
  Administrative Support: Varvara (Valia) Katsafadou
• Scientific Committee
  Chair: Nikos C. Stefanis
  Members: Margarita Alexomanolaki, Eleni Giannoulis, Sofia Martinaki, Katerina Mavromichali, Marlen Mouliou, Afroditi Pantagoutsou, Theodora (Dora) Skali, Polyxeni Skaltsi, Argyris Stringaris, Markella-Elpida Tsichla, Ilias Vlachos, Lambros Yotis

Conference Organizer: CHOOSE