University College London

Museums on Prescription is a three-year research project (2014-2017) funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council investigating the value of heritage encounters in social prescribing.
Social prescribing links people to sources of community support to improve their health and wellbeing. The Museums on Prescription project connected lonely older people at risk of social isolation to partner museums in Central London and Kent. The project researched the processes, practices, value and impact of social prescription schemes in the arts and cultural sector with specific reference to museums (including galleries).
The project is supported by work carried out over several years into museums, touch and wellbeing, assessing the benefits of discussing and handling heritage objects in healthcare settings.