CARE: Culture for Mental Health – A New Path to Health and Well-Being in Europe
Mental health challenges are on the rise across Europe, affecting over 85 million people. The CARE – Culture for Mental Health project offers a fresh, creative approach to this crisis, enhancing social transformation through culture. By integrating arts and culture into mental health strategies, CARE aims to contribute to the health and well-being of youth, working adults, and vulnerable communities across Europe.
Building on the legacy of the Art&Well-being and CultureForHealth projects, CARE fosters cross-sector collaboration between cultural, health, social, business and education sectors and promotes cultural participation as a way to increase mental health and well-being of individuals and communities. CARE aims to provide both structural and individual solutions by integrating arts and culture into other sectors in order to enhance mental health and well-being across Europe. The project also works to strengthen skills in the cultural and other sectors, set up arts and health innovation labs, and share the benefits of cultural approaches to mental well-being at the European, national and local level.
Key directions and actions
LEARN: Knowledge Sharing, Capacity Building, Cross-sector Dialogue
Capacity building in cultural and partner sectors (health, social care, education, business) through training sessions, expert panels, workshops, and counseling. The project establishes a community of practice via an Arts and Health think tank and festival makers’ working group. It also develops a digital catalogue of artworks on health and well-being.
INNOVATE: Social Innovation Laboratories
The project sets up arts and health social innovation laboratories focusing on youth mental health, culture and work-related well-being, and culture on prescription and accessibility for people with disabilities. Guidelines and toolkits are prepared to support transnational transfer of piloted models.
SHARE: Engagement, Networking, Advocacy
The project organizes six CultureForHealth mobile hubs, a traveling festival-like event across European cities. It boosts awareness, cross-sector exchange and showcases relevant artworks. In addition, advocacy actions inform policy recommendations presented to local, national and EU decision-makers. An international Culture and Well-being forum and EU-wide communication campaigns provide the means for onsite and online dissemination of the outcomes.
Throughout its activities, the project tackles five important topics:
- Youth mental health
- Work-related well-being
- Culture on prescription
- The well-being of artists
- Festivals engagement with social well-being and health
Operating in five countries, CARE will directly involve over 1500 people in participatory arts activities, train over 600 professionals and raise awareness among an estimated one million people. Through innovative policy recommendations, toolkits and advocacy, the project aspires to leave a lasting legacy on cultural and health policies in Europe.
The CARE project is interconnected with other European initiatives relevant on the topic of arts, health and well-being, such as CultureAndHealth Platform, a transformative initiative designed to support European emerging artists working at the intersection of culture, health, care, education, and social sectors, and AWAKE, an initiative that explores the intersection of arts and wellbeing from the perspective of creative business and future livelihood.
Find out more about the CARE project on the website: www.culturecares.eu (upcoming soon).
External key resources and publications on arts, health and well-being
Upcoming events at the intersection of culture, health and well-being
Conferences
- 17-18 June 2025 – Culture and health Mobile Hub, Ljubljana
- 28-30 October 2025 – Care and Sustainable Working Practices in the Arts, Cluj
Online Roundtables
- 10 April 2025 – Youth Mental Health
- 25 June 2025 – Work related Well-being
- 17 September 2025 – Arts on Prescription
Advocacy
- 20 May 2025 – Mental Health Summit in the European Parliament, Brussels&online
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29 September – 2 October 2025 – Research and Practice conference, CultureAndHealth Platform showcasing event, Turku
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26-27 February 2026 – Culture, Health & Well-being Conference, Leuven
- October 2026 – 2028 – CultureAndHealth Platform conferences and showcasing events in Vienna, Cluj, Brussels
Open calls on cultureandhealth.eu
The CARE – Culture for Mental Health project has a total budget of €1.4 million and will run for 3 years, from November 2024 to December 2027. The program is funded by the Creative Europe Program of the European Union (grant no. 101174064) and brings together experts from across Europe to explore the intersection between arts, culture and mental health for a healthier future. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
