Inclusive Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture in the Baltics (WITAC)
Inclusive Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture in the Baltics (WITAC) is a strategic partnership project aimed at developing and testing a new interdisciplinary collaboration model between culture and health in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Baltic States. The project will strengthen the role of HEIs in fostering an equitable and inclusive society by offering an innovative lifelong learning programme for professionals in the fields of culture, health, and social work. This programme will focus on promoting inclusive wellbeing for vulnerable groups in society through the use of culture and the arts.
The main objectives in WITAC project:
- Develop and test a new cross-sectoral model of cooperation among HEIs in the Baltic countries, with representation from both the cultural and health sectors;
- Promote the role of HEIs in supporting international lifelong learning endeavors across the Baltic countries;
- By offering innovative solutions – inclusive well-being for vulnerable groups through cultural participation, strengthen the leadership role of HEIs as agents for addressing societal challenges.
The main results:
R1 – Report and policy recommendations resulting from mapping of the existing situation regarding cultural and health interventions for vulnerable groups in the Baltic countries.
R2 – Curriculum of the interdisciplinary blended LLL programme developed for health, culture and social sector professionals who wish to upskill.
R3 – Implemented blended LLL programme, including the practical components - 3 real-life inclusive wellbeing initiatives for vulnerable groups in the Baltic countries.
general information
Project implementation period: November 1, 2024 – October 31, 2026 Allocated funding: €250,000
Project number: 2024-1-LV01-KA220-HED-000253345
Project manager: Vita Dumpe, vita.dumpe@lka.edu.lv
partners
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PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Riga Conference Highlights Education and Collaboration as Keys to Advancing Culture and Health
22.10.2026
The international conference “Learning to Care: Education and Training in Culture and Health”, held on 15-16 October at Rīga Stradiņš University, explored how education, professional skills and cross-sector partnerships can strengthen the contribution of arts and culture to health and well-being. The programme connected experiences from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania with perspectives from across Europe.
Organised by the Latvian Academy of Culture and the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture Secretariat, in cooperation with Rīga Stradiņš University, the event brought together cultural practitioners, health and social care professionals, educators, researchers and policymakers. It drew on two EU-supported projects: WITAC and CARE.
New skills for cross-sector cooperation
A major focus was education and training in culture and health, from university curricula to learning in cultural institutions and communities. The conference presented the Baltic micro-qualification programme “Culture and Health: Managing Cross-Sectoral Initiatives”, developed by three Baltic universities through WITAC. Graduates introduced four pilot initiatives showing how professionals from different fields can jointly design activities for people with diverse needs, including those facing health challenges or social exclusion. Presentations featured “Museums on Prescription” in Cēsis, cooperation between Tartu memory institutions and Tartu University Hospital, and training for healthcare clowning through RED NOSES. Speakers also explored mental well-being in festival curation, health literacy and campaigns encouraging public engagement with arts and well-being - developed within the CARE project. These examples highlighted the diverse settings in which cross-sectoral capacity-building initiatives can be developed and implemented.
Policy dialogue
Two panel discussions explored the opportunities and challenges of developing culture and health as a sustainable cross-sectoral field. The opening panel focused on education and training, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary, practice-based learning and developing competences for effective collaboration across professional boundaries. The closing policy panel examined the current state of culture and health in the Baltic countries and potential next steps, highlighting the need to move beyond individual initiatives towards stronger institutional partnerships, supportive policies, sustainable funding and long-term capacity building. A common conclusion shared by the speakers was that the challenges facing formal and non-formal education in culture and health cannot be separated from those affecting the cross-sectoral field itself. Gaps in the recognition, development and institutional support of culture and health are inevitably reflected in the availability and quality of education and training opportunities.
Artists’ voices and hands-on learning
Artists and cultural professionals played an integral role throughout the conference, bringing their creative practices, experiences and perspectives into the discussions on culture and health. On 15 October, artistic interventions involving movement, calligraphy, body percussion and participatory performance by Eva Vēvere offered opportunities to experience the potential of artistic practices first-hand. The second day was dedicated to hands-on learning through workshops exploring self-care and safeguarding when working with vulnerable audiences, and the relationship between culture and health in a warming world. Together, these activities highlighted the importance of recognising artists and cultural professionals not only as contributors to health and well-being initiatives, but also as essential partners in developing knowledge, sharing skills and shaping cross-sectoral practices.
Building on European cooperation
The conference provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge and methods, strengthen professional connections, and explore how education and policy dialogue can support the future development of culture and health in the Baltics and beyond. As both projects approach their final stages, the event also served as an opportunity to consolidate and share the knowledge, expertise and experiences gained, contributing to their lasting impact and laying the groundwork for further collaboration and development in the field.
The recording of the conference 3 sessions will stay available for 30 days here.
The conference booklet is available here.
Photos from the conference are available for download here. Please credit Liene Abaroniņa when publishing.
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Photo: Liene Abaroniņa
International conference in Riga and online exploring education and training across culture and health
The conference “Learning to Care: Education and Training in Culture and Health” will take place on the 15-16 October 2026, at Riga Stradins University. The event builds on two EU projects - WITAC* and CARE** - bringing together artists, health and social care professionals working at the intersection of culture and health, representatives of higher education institutions, mentors, experts and local decision-makers. Together, they will discuss education and training opportunities in the cross-sectoral field of arts, culture and health, in the Baltics and across Europe. The event aims to support the further development of the culture and health field by exploring and strengthening education and training pathways for professionals across formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts.
The first day of the conference will focus on existing experiences, gaps and future needs in the field. After an opening keynote and a panel discussion, a dedicated session on academiceducation will look at university-level approaches in the Nordic countries and present the Baltic microqualification course “Culture and Health. Managing Cross-sector Initiatives”, developed within the WITAC project. In the afternoon, the focus will shift to non-formal education, showing how learning in culture and health can take place not only in universities, but also through cultural institutions, festivals, community settings and mentorship. Speakers will present several examples from the fields of festival curation, arts-based self-reflection and care, as well as mental health support and health literacy programmes within museums. Finally – recognising that engaging the wider public is essential for the development of the cross-sectoral field and for better-informed decision-making – the session will conclude with a closer look at the awareness-raising campaign on arts and well-being designed within the CARE project.
The closing policy panel discussion will ask: What do we already have, and what are we still missing in culture and health policies and education in the Baltics? The discussion will bring together representatives from culture, health, education, governments and European networks to reflect on the current situation and identify possible next steps for the region.
The second day will be dedicated to learning in practice – sharing methods through practical workshops. Participants will explore approaches related to self-care for artists involved in culture and health, creative tools for supporting the mental health of youth, and more.
Additionally, artistic activities, informal networking, visual testimonies from realised projects and site visits will support reflection and dialogue all throughout the conference.
The conference is organised by the Latvian Academy of Culture and the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture Secretariat, representing the consortia of the WITAC and CARE projects, co-funded by the European Union.
*WITAC – Erasmus+ project “Inclusive Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture in the Baltics” is a strategic partnership project that brings together higher education institutions across the Baltic States. By creating an innovative blended lifelong learning programme for professionals in culture, health, and social work, WITAC enhances knowledge and skills in the rapidly developing cross-sectoral field of culture and health. The project also reinforces the role of higher education institutions as contributors to a more equitable and inclusive society, with a particular focus on supporting vulnerable groups through cultural participation and the arts.
**CARE Mobile Hub is a series of free, festival-like itinerant events organised in different European cities as part of the three-year EU-funded CARE – Culture for Mental Health project (2024–2027). Each Hub has a distinct title and theme, bringing together artists, healthcare professionals, policymakers, social actors, businesses, educators and local communities to explore how arts and culture can support mental health and well-being. Through exhibitions of relevant artworks, cross-sector dialogues and awareness-raising activities, the Mobile Hub creates an open space for exchange, networking and advocacy at local, national and European levels.
