Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recognition of the role of the culture sector in promoting health and well-being is increasing across research, practice, and policy. Despite this growing prominence, there remains more limited understanding of how cultural assets can be effectively coordinated with health services, or how these cultural provisions are perceived by professionals working across the health and third sectors. This study aimed to explore cross-sector professionals' perspectives on the efforts of Scottish Ballet, a UK national cultural asset, to connect its dance provisions for neurological conditions into health and social care pathways through social prescribing. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured, online interviews with professionals across the health, cultural, and third sectors. Participants were purposively sampled, focused on three health boards: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Tayside, and NHS Orkney. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen professionals were interviewed. The analysis identified two themes reflecting the dual role of Scottish Ballet in relation to social prescribing: (1) as a credible cultural service provider of dance for people with neurological conditions, and (2) as a cross-sector promoter of the arts in health practice and policy. Sub-themes show opportunities for connecting dance provisions with health services by enhancing professionals' delivery of person-centred care and expanding access to dance activity for certain patients with reduced mobility, alongside challenges with limited professional-level capacity, inconsistent service-level coordination, and lacking sustainable, system-level support. CONCLUSIONS: Cultural assets such as Scottish Ballet can offer meaningful contributions to social prescribing, both as direct service providers and wider strategic advocates. Yet, sustained collaboration, shared understanding, and long-term investment across sectors remain important to more comprehensively and sustainably embedding the arts and culture in prescribing pathways.