In France, there is an official recognition of the place of culture and arts in healthcare settings. This is concretized through an agreement signed between the Ministries of Culture and of Health in 1999, renewed in 2006 and in 2010.
This program, previously called “Culture in Hospital”, is now named “Culture and Health”. It was set up in the framework of a national policy aiming to give access to culture to everyone whatever their condition.

Following the signatures in 1998 of regional agreements between local cultural and health authorities and the creation of a “Circle of Partners” gathering private companies and foundations contributing to the funding of cultural actions within hospitals, the national agreement “Culture in Hospital” was signed between the Ministry of Culture and the Secretary of State for Health in 1999.

According to this agreement signed by the Ministries of Culture and Health, a cultural life reduces the patient’s isolation. Culture and arts are vectors of personal, professional, and social valorization; they are considered as a contribution to a health policy. The targeted audiences of cultural policies within healthcare settings are patients, their families, and the healthcare staff.

Website of the programme “Culture and Health” (in French)