When culture turns into healing: ‘Social Prescribing’ at the heart of the fifth university course of Cultura e Salute (Culture and Health)

Alongside being a form of expression, arts and culture can become tools for healing. Based on this belief, the university course of Cultura e Salute (Culture and Health) was launched five years ago, promoted by IBSA Foundation for scientific research together with the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of Università della Svizzera italiana (University of Italian Switzerland) (USI) and the Cultura Division of the City of Lugano.

The 2025 edition, which took place from 6 October to 24 November at the USI East Campus, focused on the theme of social prescribing, an innovative approach that combines traditional therapies with artistic, cultural, sporting and voluntary activities to improve people's health and well-being.

SOCIAL PRESCRIBING: A NEW WAY OF APPROACHING CARE

Entitled How doctors are using culture, sports, nature, and community service as medicine, the course brought together students, physicians and other stakeholders to explore a practice already recognised in many countries – including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Canada – as an integral part of public health policy.

The idea behind social prescribing is that physicians can “prescribe” – in addition to medication and clinical treatments – experiences that can strengthen mental and physical health, such as a music course, a group walk in nature, an art workshop or a volunteering activity. The process is supported by link workers, specialised professionals who act as mediators among patients, clinicians, and local organisations, guiding each person towards activities that reply to the question, ‘What is important to you?’.

Coordinated by a scientific committee composed of Enzo Grossi, Luigi Di Corato, Silvia Misiti and Julia Hotz, the course programme included seven lectures open to the public, each introduced by a keynote speech followed by a debate with an expert. 

The lectures provided an updated overview of the latest studies and practical applications of social prescribing, outlining a model of medicine capable of integrating scientific knowledge and relational dimensions. The enthusiastic participation of the public confirmed the growing interest in medical practices that combine health, culture and social responsibility.

FROM SPORT TO ART TO VOLUNTEERING: COMPLEMENTARY PATHS TO HEALTH

During the meetings, the speakers analysed the main forms of social prescribing. The first lecture, given by Enzo Grossi and Julia Hotz – journalist and author of the book The Connection Cure – provided the theoretical and scientific context, preparing participants for the topics covered in the following sessions. 

Mandy Zhang, professor of sports medicine in Singapore, explored the role of physical activity as a tool to prevent and manage chronic diseases. 

Qing Li, professor and president of the Japanese Society of Forest Medicine, presented the results of research conducted in Japan on nature therapy, which highlights how contact with nature can reduce stress and promote attention. 

Professor Anita Jensen of Lund University (Sweden) discussed Arts on Prescription, i.e. the impact of creative activities in promoting mental and physical well-being and social bonds, while Julianne Holt-Lunstadt of Brigham Young University (USA) addressed the issue of solitude and social isolation, now recognised as real public health problems. 

Further attention was dedicated to volunteering, analysed as a practice capable of strengthening community cohesion and a sense of belonging.

To conclude the lecture series, the final lesson presented the pilot project of art on prescribing promoted by the City of Lugano, IBSA Foundation and the Istituto di Medicina di Famiglia (Institute of Family Medicine) of USI, in collaboration with LAC edu. 

This project aims to explore the positive impact of artistic and cultural activities on health and wellbeing among people over 65 suffering from chronic lifestyle-related diseases. The goal is to experience and spread a new way of healing, which mixes healthcare, culture, and education. The project aims to give participants direct benefits, reduce social isolation, and provide useful evidence at national level that could help integrate culture into cantonal and federal healthcare policies.

‘After four years of addressing the effects of arts and cultural activities on people's physical and mental well-being, the fifth edition of the Culture and Health course focuses on social prescribing. Within the Cultura e Salute (Culture and Health) project, social prescribing is now a central theme, with the launch of a study that will assess its impact. This step reinforces the project's mission: to demonstrate how cultural activities can be real tools for health and wellbeing,’ – emphasised Silvia Misiti, Director of Scientific Research at IBSA Foundation.  

The lectures will be available on the Cultura e Salute project website at: www.ibsafoundation.org/en/projects/cultura-e-salute/university-course-2025