An important new initiative at the intersection of culture, health, and social innovation is exploring the role of art as a tool for enhancing mental health and promoting emotional wellbeing in people over 60.
Titled Well-Being for People 60+, the program is part of the Museum of Cycladic Art’s commitment to social responsibility and is organized under the Ministry of Culture’s national Art on Prescription initiative. It is taking place within the framework of the Greece 2.0 National Recovery and Resilience Plan with funding from the European Union’s NextGenerationEU package and is being implemented by the Ministry’s Directorate of Performing Arts and Cinema in collaboration with the University Research Institute of Mental Health, Neuroscience and Precision Medicine “Kostas Stefanis” (EPIPSY). With this move, Greece joins a broader international effort to integrate art and cultural participation into mental health strategies.
A National Initiative with a Social Mission
Cultural prescription has gained growing recognition as an evidence-based approach for fostering wellbeing and promoting mental health beyond traditional clinical settings. In this context, the Art on Prescription initiative aims to develop structured collaborations between cultural institutions and individuals who could benefit from meaningful, guided engagement with the arts. Specifically, Well-Being for People 60+ addresses the clear social need to support older adults at a stage of life that’s often marked by emotional challenges, shifting identities, and reduced social contact.
Older populations commonly experience increased stress, loneliness, and difficulty navigating transitions such as retirement, changes in physical ability, or the loss of loved ones. The program takes these realities as its starting point and seeks to offer targeted support through reflective, creative, and participatory activities.
A Twelve-Week Journey Toward Connection and Resilience
Designed as a structured, three-month cycle, Well-Being for People 60+ includes twelve weekly sessions held within the museum environment, where artworks serve as prompts for discussion and exploration. In total, the program comprises two three-month cycles—one running from September to December 2025 and another from December 2025 to February 2026. Participation is free of charge.
Each session draws on experiential exercises, art therapy approaches, and guided observation of selected artifacts, while mental-health professionals facilitate conversations and activities that focus on themes such as emotional regulation, stress management, the importance of self-care, processing loss, and developing self-compassion. By examining artworks as mirrors of human experience and by engaging in creative expression, participants are encouraged to understand their emotions, reflect on personal narratives, and build supportive social bonds with others in the group.
Importantly, the program does not require previous artistic experience. Its emphasis lies in the process: noticing, reflecting, sharing, and creating in a safe and structured environment.
The Transformative Power of Art in Later Life
Research increasingly supports the idea that cultural participation can complement traditional mental health care, especially for older adults. Engaging with art has been shown to reduce anxiety, stimulate cognitive activity, encourage emotional expression, and counteract the effects of social isolation. Within a group setting, the benefits are amplified by regular interaction, routine, and shared purpose.
For participants, the artworks become touchpoints for discussing universal experiences—change, vulnerability, resilience, identity, and memory. Rather than focusing on artistic interpretation, the program uses these objects as catalysts for conversation and introspection. This approach allows participants to approach complex feelings indirectly, at a comfortable distance, while still gaining meaningful insight.
A Community-Oriented Approach to Wellbeing
The program represents a shift toward understanding cultural spaces as resources for wellbeing and toward creating accessible interventions that reach beyond traditional healthcare environments. This aligns with evolving priorities in Greek cultural policy, which increasingly recognizes the role of culture in strengthening social cohesion and improving quality of life.
By participating in Well-Being for People 60+, older adults are not asked to become art enthusiasts. Instead, they are invited to use art as a tool, one that can help them navigate emotional complexity, rediscover connection, and cultivate resilience.
A Model for the Future
As Greece and many other countries adapt to rapidly aging populations, programs such as Well-Being for People 60+ offer new ways to support mental health in a sustainable, community-centered manner. If successful, the program could serve as a model for similar actions across the country, integrating cultural participation as a recognized component of preventive mental health care.
Above all, the initiative reaffirms something that has long been embedded in human experience: art provides more than aesthetic pleasure. It offers perspective, companionship, and a sense of meaning—qualities that become especially valuable in times of transition. In an era when many older adults face isolation and emotional strain, programs like this illuminate the potential of creativity and shared experience as pathways toward wellbeing.