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Background: While international evidence on arts in health is growing, the Dutch field has lacked a coordinated research infrastructure. Fragmentation across disciplines and sectors has limited the development of shared methods, long-term studies, and national research capacity. To address this gap, the alliance Arts in Health Netherlands established a national Research Working Group in 2025.

Objectives: To map existing Dutch and international research activity, identify thematic and methodological gaps, analyse possible funding routes, and develop the foundations for a 10-year national research agenda on arts in health.

Methods: The working group conducted:

1. a national inventory of researchers, research groups, across healthcare, social care, arts, and academia;
2. an international scan of comparable agendas and infrastructures;
3. an initial mapping of funding streams;
4. preliminary synthesis of priority themes emerging from practice, policy and education

Results: Preliminary analysis revealed several priority gaps in the Dutch research landscape including limited implementation research, lack of shared evaluation frameworks, scarcity of long-term outcome studies, methodological challenges in studying embodied and creative practices, insufficient insight into organisational and financing models, and limited integration of social determinants of health in arts-based research. Mapping identified multiple opportunities for alignment with EU programmes (Horizon, Creative Europe, Interreg).

Conclusion: A national research agenda is essential for strengthening evidence, informing policy, and enabling sustainable scaling of arts in health. The Dutch model demonstrates how collaborative mapping and agenda-setting can build a coherent research ecosystem with international relevance.