European inventory of
societal values of culture

Holla & Janssen - Benefitting from culture for well-being and positive health

Holla, S. & Janssen, S. (2023). Benefitting from culture for well-being and positive health. A case study of ‘working elements’ in cultural interventions in The Netherlands. INVENT Case study.

This case study focuses on the ‘working elements’ of cultural interventions to increase the well-being of elderly, ill, and displaced persons (refugees with residence permits) in The Netherlands. Usually, these interventions result from collaborations in the cultural domain with social and care institutions. Most cultural interventions are initiated by cultural organisations and executed by professionals and volunteers working for these organisations. The implementation usually occurs at involved care facilities, refugee shelters (‘AZCs’), or social centres.

Cultural interventions have generated high hopes amongst care and well-being professionals and policymakers regarding their positive effects on health and well-being. However, the evaluative studies included in this case study show that several primary conditions are crucial for potential benefits, one of which is continuity of financing and practice. Continuity of an intervention requires a solid and general methodology (i.e., an execution plan) that all practitioners can work with, not just the initiator or advocate of the intervention. Finance continuity is achieved mainly by convincing sponsors that they have spent their money well. The most compelling argument is often that the intervention is effective, i.e., that it reaches its goal of improving the well-being of its target group. Here lies a great challenge for interventions that revolve around culture. Even though effectiveness is never easily measured and assessed for interventions, in the case of cultural and artistic interventions in particular, measuring and establishing causes and effects proves even more difficult. Based on intervention descriptions and evaluative reports, this case study highlights these challenges and discusses how they can be dealt with differently.