Hub-ul European de Cultură și Sănătate aduce arta pe agenda europeană a sănătății

Europe is facing increasing challenges in mental health and well-being. These are exacerbated by deepening loneliness, social isolation, and demographic aging. Although these issues are widely recognized, the role of art and culture in addressing them remains largely underutilized in public health policies.

 

 

A study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2026 shows that engagement in artistic activities can improve psychological well-being and strengthen community resilience, reconnecting people with each other and with the spaces they live in. Additionally, participation in cultural activities is correlated with improved mental health, strengthened social cohesion, and increased resilience.

 

 

A strong political signal for change came with the 2025 European Commission report titled Culture and Health: It’s Time to Act, which calls on the EU and member states to strengthen cooperation between the culture, health, and social sectors. The report recognizes participation in cultural activities as a health-promoting behavior and highlights its contribution to health promotion, disease prevention, mental health, social inclusion, and community resilience.

 

 

The European Culture and Health Hub (ECHH 2026-2029) is a new and ambitious Horizon Europe initiative aimed at bringing these ideas into policies and practices in a more direct way. Coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and implemented in Romania by the Cluj Cultural Centre, the project brings together European researchers, cultural organizations, decision-makers, and health professionals from 15 organizations across 13 European countries to explore the connection between cultural participation and public health.

 

 

Among those involved is Professor Daisy Fancourt, holder of the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Health and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health, along with renowned European researchers working in the field.

 

 

„Cultural participation is increasingly recognized as a health-promoting behavior, and across Europe, remarkable programs are being implemented that put into practice the evidence and research findings in this area. ECHH has all the premises to catalyze this field by synthesizing and developing scientific and practical evidence and translating it into new programs and policies.” -Professor Daisy Fancourt

 

 

A European hub for accelerating change

The European Culture and Health Hub (ECHH) is a collaborative platform aimed at facilitating the connection between research, policy, and practice and strengthening the scientific evidence base in the field of culture and health. The project aims to bring a new perspective on well-being and care by structurally integrating culture into public health.

 

 

ECHH is developed in collaboration with policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and local communities, ensuring that its outcomes reflect real-world needs.

 

 

„ECHH aims to build bridges between policymakers and practitioners in the culture, health, social care, humanitarian, youth, and education sectors. Through ECHH, a common space for learning, capacity building, collaboration, and policy development is provided, contributing to translating knowledge into concrete actions and more effective policies at the European, national, regional, and local levels.” – Liisa Laitinen, ECHH project manager at Turku University of Applied Sciences.

 

 

Contributions from professionals in the involved sectors will directly contribute to the development of ECHH, including the creation of tools that clearly show where solid evidence already exists and where further research is needed, as well as the development of public policy recommendations at the European, national, regional, and local levels.

 

 

In parallel, the ECHH initiative will test, evaluate, and expand programs that combine culture and health in various European contexts and will support the development of skills and resources at the regional level, enabling professionals and organizations to more easily implement evidence-based solutions and concrete results.

 

 

In Romania, the Cluj Cultural Centre will coordinate research and evaluation activities regarding the impact of art on health and well-being, will train local specialists to promote and expand practices in the field of art and health, and will bring together professionals, public institutions, and decision-makers in working meetings aimed at supporting the development of relevant public policies at the national level.

 

 

Organizations, professionals, and artists interested in receiving updates about the project are invited to fill out this form.

 

 

A strong European partnership
Launched in June 2026, the European Culture and Health Hub (ECHH) is a €2 million initiative co-funded through the Horizon Europe program and coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland. The project will run for three years (2026–2029) and brings together 20 partner organizations, including 15 project partners and 5 associated partners, representing higher education institutions, research centers, cultural organizations, NGOs, and health networks from across Europe.

 

 

The project partners are:
• Cluj Cultural Centre (Romania)
• Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
• University College London (United Kingdom)
• The Center for Primary Health Care Research Region Skåne (Sweden)
• Culture Action Europe (Belgium)
• EuroHealthNet (Belgium)
• University of Porto (Portugal)
• Cultural Welfare Center ETS (Italy)
• Cultura en Vena (Spain)
• Nord University (Norway)
• Arts in Health Netherlands (Netherlands)
• Latvian Academy of Culture (Latvia)
• Mozarteum University Salzburg (Austria)
• University of Southern Denmark (Denmark)
• Hope UK (United Kingdom)

 

 

This project also benefits from the support of associated partners who contribute international expertise, policy-level engagement, and cross-sector collaboration: Arts + Health Ireland / Réalta (Ireland), the Secretariat of the Nordic Dimension Partnership on Culture, United Cities and Local Governments, UNESCO, and the Nordic Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Well-being.

 

 

For details please contact claudia@cccluj.ro 

 

Press inquiries: For all press requests, please contact claudia@cccluj.ro

 

Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the funding authority can be held responsible for them.