The researcher, Dr Rogers, became inspired to research this area realising already 10 years ago that Lord Howarth of Newport, chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Health and Well-Being, (APPGHWB, 2014) began promoting the arts for health and wellbeing for the Nation. The findings of the Inquiry Report (2015-2017), Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing – 2nd Edition, presents two years of research, evidence-gathering and discussions with patients, health and social care professionals, artists and arts administrators, academics, people in local government, ministers, other policymakers and parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament.

In December 2023. Professor Carolyn Wallace, Director of the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR) was instrumental in the Launch of “The National Framework for Social Prescribing in Wales” (NFfSP) that has already made an impact in promoting Social Prescribing (SP) in Communities across Wales. So, what is SP?
SP is a “multi-dimensional concept” addressing, potentially health inequalities, aiming to promote public health and well-being. It is seen as person-centred care, involving a link worker who has a ‘what matters’ conversation with the individual, co-produces goals and connects them with assets in their community.

The research study title:” Investigating Art-On-Prescription for Social Well-being in Wales: How to Achieve Critical Success Factors for Sustainability” implements a mixed-methods methodology using the method of Group Concept Mapping (GCM) applying GroupWisdomTM software, entailing four activities:
(i) Brainstorming
(ii) Sorting
(iii) Rating and
(iv) Analysing.

This software allows for online “Brainstorming”, to gather Data from sample populations drawn from the Membership WSSPR, All Wales Social Prescribing Research Network, (WSPRN), including arts professionals, general practitioners and primary care workers in the community among others.

The Research Purpose primarily is to establish those Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that enable the sustainability of SP Art-On-Prescription (AoP) for social well-being in Wales. Hence the focus prompt “. . .A Critical Success Factor for the sustainability of Social Prescribing Art-on-Prescription in Wales is. . .? This gathered 191 statements from initially 81 assigned participants. These were organised into 125 statements by the Project Advisory Group of “critical friends” for the Sorting Activity, by 90 assigned participants. Already the Rating activity on two items:
(i) Importance and
(ii) degree of effectiveness for sustainability of Social Prescribing Art-on-Prescription in Wales has been completed by 40 research participants.

The GroupWisdomTM analysis shows several cluster maps, selected from different areas of the sample population whereby statements are placed into specific clusters automatically.

Additionally, a graph composed of the Ratings on a scale 1 (least) – 5 (most) on:
(i) degree of effectiveness for sustainability shown on x-axis and
(i) importance of statements shown on y-axis plots an area known as the Go-Zone that is beginning to reveal interesting results.

The research study is in its fourth year, based in the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at The University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK. The researcher is most indebted to Professor Carolyn Wallace, Director of Studies and the Academic Supervisory Team including Professor Steve Smith and Dr Sarah Wallace, for their dedicated guidance.

Keywords: Creativity, art-on-prescription, health, well-being, holistic therapies, mental health, social prescribing, GroupWisdomTM software, brainstorming, sorting, rating, cluster mapping, group concept mapping.