CARE - Culture for Mental health
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.
As a legacy of the CultureForHealth and Art & Well-Being projects, CARE has the premises to develop capacity building activities for cultural and partner sectors, to set up arts and health social innovation laboratories and advocate at the European and national levels on the potential of art and cultural experiences to enhance mental health and well-being.
Stakeholders from culture, health, education, and business collaborate to create innovative approaches proposing individual and structural solutions to increase the mental health and well-being through access and participation in culture.
Key Directions
| 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 counselling. 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 organises six CultureForHealth mobile hubs, a travelling 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.
Activities Organised by EFA
Festivals Care: Arts Festivals Summit 2025
EFA is exploring how art festivals contribute to mental health and well-being. EFA hosted a workshop on this topic at the Arts Festivals Summit Edinburgh and was present at the Mental Health Summit in the European Parliament.
Together in Care: Well-being of Artists and Festivals
Festivals Care Working Group
Activities by Our Partners
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, online
- 25 June 2025 – Work related Well-being and Culture, online
- 17 September 2025 – Arts on Prescription
Advocacy
- 20 May 2025 – Mental Health Summit in the European Parliament, Brussels & online
- 29 September – 2 October 2025 – Research and Practice conference, CultureAndHealth Platform showcasing event, Turku
- 26-27 February 2026 – Culture, Health & Well-being Conference, Leuven
- October 2026 – 2028 – CultureAndHealth Platform conferences and showcasing events in Vienna, Cluj, Brussels
