Culture’s expanding role in health and well-being

There is a growing recognition, both at global and EU levels, of the essential link between culture, health and well-being. Recent developments mark a significant shift in how this relationship is being understood, valued and reflected in the public policy debates. Culture Action Europe (CAE) has been at the forefront of this transformation, working at multiple levels to support the needed change. In this article, we recap what has happened in this field so far and look at what lies ahead. 

Global milestone: WHO recognises the importance of social connection

In May 2025, during the 78th World Health Assembly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised social connection as a global health priority.  ‘Fostering Social Connection for Global Health: the Essential Role of Social Connection in Combating Loneliness, Social Isolation and Inequities in Health’ is the first of its kind resolution, which identifies loneliness, social isolation and social inequalities as critical health risks and places social connection as a standalone priority on the global health agenda (not only as an afterthought or an adjunct to the mental health policy).

Notably, the resolution  urges WHO member states “to strengthen collaboration between culture and health sectors to promote social inclusion and cohesion.”

This is in line with what the cultural sector has been advocating for years: human connection, often cultivated through culture, is vital to our individual and community health., This powerful validation from WHO and all its member states is the major step forward. 

Updates from the EU

Although bringing culture and health sectors closer together remains challenging and will need a longer time-frame, work across EU member states has been ongoing in the context of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on Culture and Health, initiated in February 2024. This group, composed of representatives from Culture and Health Ministries from interested Member States, has been growing and is expected to publish its report in autumn 2025. Culture Action Europe and its members have actively contributed to this process, including through the preparation of CAE Position paper on Culture, Health and Well-being, as well as expert input from CAE’s Head of Culture and Health, Kornelia Kiss, to the OMC meetings and the upcoming report. 

The ripple effects of the OMC group’s work are already being felt: several Member States have begun appointing dedicated staff for culture and health, while some have kick-started stakeholders’ consultations and have embedded culture and health connections in their strategic documents. This will hopefully result in launching concrete programmes in the culture and health area, where funding is provided not only from the cultural budget but also from the health and social budgets, depending on the program’s objective.

Additionally, in recent years, EU-level strategic documents, including those originating from the health sector, have increasingly acknowledged the role of culture in supporting mental health and well-being. The European Commission’s Communication on the Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health (June 2023), led by DG SANTE, mentioned culture seven times. This momentum continued with the EU Council Conclusions on Mental Health (November 2023) recognising “that strengthening protective factors, such as regular sports and physical exercise as well as participation in cultural activities, can boost the overall mental health and well-being of people and reduce the risk of mental health conditions” and explicitly encouraged Member States to promote access to culture throughout all stages of life in order to strengthen mental health resilience. The EU Council Conclusion on Improving and Fostering Access to Culture (December 2024) invites Member States to “consider incorporating cultural activities (…) by harnessing the potential of culture in relation to mental health” and highlights initiatives like cultural prescribing as valuable tools for enhancing health and well-being. 

While focusing on digital safety, the most recent EU Council Conclusions on Promoting and Protecting the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Digital Era (May 2025) advocate for meaningful offline alternatives to screen time. It identifies cultural engagement, such as peer interaction, creative activities, and time in cultural spaces, as essential to building young people’s self-esteem and emotional resilience. Member States are urged to develop and invest in non-digital environments including libraries, cultural hubs, and green spaces, emphasising a balanced approach “such as participating in physical and cultural activities, reading books, spending quality time with family and friends.” 

The above statements in the EU Council Conclusions are significant because all EU Member States have endorsed them, which means that, in principle, each country is expected to work towards implementing these recommendations. 

Culture Action Europe’s Advocacy: From CultureForHealth to Policy Shifts

This global momentum echoes the findings of the CultureForHealth report, which highlights the strong evidence connecting cultural participation with improved wellbeing.  The report also shows the link between loneliness, social isolation, lack of meaningful social interaction and the negative health outcomes – such as the increased likelihood of higher stress, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline and dementia. The report recommends treating social health with the same importance as physical and mental health and harnessing the power of culture and the arts to foster resilient and cohesive societies. 

Culture Action Europe plays a central role in pushing this agenda forward. Recognising the principle of subsidiarity that governs both health and culture at the EU level, CAE combines EU-level advocacy with working across initiatives engaged on local, regional and national levels (continue to #shareyourproject).

Through the CultureAndHealth platform – a four-year project led by Culture Action Europe – more than 200 European emerging artists will be supported to work at the intersection of culture, health, care, education and social sectors. The platform’s 15 members serve as national contact points and mentoring organisations, fostering bottom up action, capacity building and peer learning across Europe.  

CAE’s advocacy actions on the EU level, such as the Mental Health summit, co-organised at the European Parliament and supported by the European Cultural Foundation – where we made the whole audience of 100 people dance – , local events where CAE accepts speaking roles or the events organised in the context of the Culture and Health Platform and CARE project, further support these advocacy and capacity building processes.

What’s Next

Looking ahead, CAE will further focus on the topic of Youth Mental Health, particularly in the context of the CARE project (see events here). By November 2025, CAE plans to co-draft a position paper on Culture and Youth Mental Health in collaboration with its members, which can be used in further advocacy actions .

The Culture and Health Platform’s next major conference, Culture and Health Forum, which will gather artists, collectives and practitioners, researchers and decision makers working in the field of culture, health and wellbeing, will take place 29-30 September 2025 in Turku, Finland. It will showcase the work of practitioners and researchers, will feature ‘experiential workshops’ and give a first peek into the Member States’ policy discussions around the OMC ‘Culture and Health’ report.

Photo Credit: Péter Polcz (Photofools)