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.

Topics

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.

To explore upcoming activities organised by our partners, visit the CARE website and subscribe to the newsletter.

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Explore further

CARE activities organised by EFA

EFA has organised several activities connected to the Creative Europe project CARE – Culture for Mental Health. You can find them all on this page and other events will still take place before the end of the project in 2027.

Festivals Care Working Group

This EFA working group explores the intersection of arts, health, and well-being within the festival sector. It serves as a peer-learning space to reflect, exchange ideas, share challenges, and provide mutual support.