The #CultureForHealth report is now available to the public

November 21, 2022, 12:49 pm

Last week, the CultureForHealth project released its report, “CultureForHealth Report. Culture’s contribution to health and well-being. A report on evidence and policy recommendations for Europe.” Unveiled at the European Commission’s seminar, Culture: a driver for health and wellbeing in the EU,” the report kicked off its first presentation by contributing to discussion around the growing awareness in the EU of the critical role of culture and the arts in improving health and well-being at both the individual and collective level.

The event, organised by Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth together with Sabine Verheyen, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education, included speakers from the cultural and medical fields, presented good practice examples and experiences from the ground – from projects funded by various EU programmes such as Creative Europe, Erasmus + and Horizon 2020 – as well as policy initiatives and reflection processes at various decision-making levels.

The aim of the “CultureForHealth Report. Culture’s contribution to health and well-being. A report on evidence and policy recommendations for Europe” is to synthesise existing evidence on the positive effect of arts and cultural activities on health and well-being. This means the review is not limited to a few research questions but seeks to provide a clear indication of the volume of existing literature, the key concepts, focus points and the types of studies that exist. It also identifies knowledge gaps in the existing literature. Finally, it gathers policy recommendations and identifies challenges, further expanding the scope of the report beyond the proposed policy directions and specific policy measures.

As our society faces severe challenges such as a mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, an ageing population, growing inequalities, forceful displacement of people due to war and political conflict, and dynamic changes to work and the economy, new solutions and approaches are needed. The findings of this scoping review and its recommendations highlight the pathways through which culture and the arts can support individuals and communities in adequately addressing these global challenges, thus identifying further avenues for future research and action.

Both the full report and an executive summary are available for download now, in advance of the big CultureForHealth Report Launch on Thursday 24 November 2022.

Join the official launch of the “CultureForHealth Report. Culture’s contribution to health and well-being. A report on evidence and policy recommendations for Europe.”

The CultureForHealth Report Launch will be showcasing the findings of over 300 case studies and over 500 projects that demonstrate art and culture’s contribution to health and wellbeing. The event will bring together policymakers, arts and cultural practitioners, and health and wellness experts to give a deep dive into the newly published CultureForHealth Report. Participants will also have the opportunity to join breakout sessions to get an up-close look at fascinating projects directly from practitioners who connect culture and health.

The CultureForHealth Report Launch
24 November | 10.00 – 14.30 CET
Online, Free

Click here to register and receive the event link

Find the full programme here.

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