On 26 and 27 February, EUREGHA attended the European conference “Culture & Care: A Joint Call for Change” in Leuven, an initiative of the City of Leuven and KU Leuven, organised in collaboration with the Flemish Government and Culture Action Europe. The conference was also particularly relevant in light of EUREGHA’s ongoin project on culture and health. The event brought together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, artists and people with lived experience to explore how culture and care can reinforce one another, with a particular focus on mental health, youth and community well-being.
Main point discussed in the conference:
At the opening of the event, care was presented as a collective social responsibility rather than merely an individual or clinical matter. The agenda stressed the need to view culture not as an optional extra, but as a core component of care and social support systems, particularly in the areas of youth and mental health. The opening plenary also highlighted the importance of collaboration among policymakers, practitioners and communities in building a shared culture of care, while promoting a broader and more inclusive understanding of both culture and care.
In the breakout session on youth and mental health, three initiatives were highlighted which focused on young people’s well-being:
- A youth-led platform creating safe spaces through podcasts and workshops to discuss mental health, identity and vulnerability;
- A co-designed garden pathway linking a youth psychiatry unit to an open-air museum, connecting care, nature and culture;
- A collaborative documentary project enabling students to explore emotions and build confidence through visual storytelling.
The following session on Making Change Happen in Culture and Care stressed that meaningful progress requires a shared ecosystem approach involving care providers, cultural organisations, funders and communities. Speakers also showed how collaboration between culture and care can help transform organisations and address wider social challenges. The afternoon continued with impact stories illustrating how art can foster social reconnection, promote inclusion and challenge healthcare approaches that prioritise technology over human relationships.
On Friday, we visited the UZ Hospital in Leuven that showed how art, play and culture are helping transform spaces in and around the children’s hospital, while also demonstrating their therapeutic value. The panel on Reinventing Culture & Care Through Arts on Prescription then explored how non-medical activities such as arts, culture and nature can be integrated into care pathways to support mental health and well-being, with early findings pointing to positive effects on self-esteem, social connection and overall well-being.
The conference concluded with a closing plenary, where policymakers and international representatives stressed that culture must be recognized as an essential component of well-being and quality of life. Discussions also highlighted the need for long-term policies to embed culture more firmly into care systems and everyday practice.
A call for change:
- A shift from isolated projects to broader ecosystems connecting healthcare, culture, social services and communities.
- A strong focus on youth, vulnerability and equity, especially for marginalised groups;
- The need for stronger recognition and investment in cultural care.
- Greater support for practitioners and artists through training, fair remuneration and cross-sector collaboration.
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