Culture & Care: A Joint Call for Change
European Conference | Leuven, Belgium
February 26–27, 2026
An initiative of the City of Leuven and KU Leuven, in collaboration with the Flemish Government and Culture Action Europe's work on culture and health. Powered by LEF.
Part of Body & Soul and LOV2030 – Leuven & Beyond, European Capital of Culture 2030.
How can culture and care together help people and communities flourish?
A Gathering for Changemakers
Together, we will explore sustainable transformations in how we think about care and culture.
Morning plenaries bring together European experts to share insights from policy, practice, and lived experience, exploring how culture can transform care and how care can inspire artistic practice.
Afternoon sessions feature impact stories and interactive workshops, letting you experience culture & care in action.
The programme also includes artistic interventions and performances, including contributions from Coconuts, a Leuven collective connecting art, care, and mental health in moving and unexpected ways.
Secure your spot!
Tickets for Thursday are sold out - Last tickets for Friday available
Plan your visit
Make the most of your visit by planning your stay in advance. Through the link below, you can book your accommodation and explore all that Leuven has to offer.
Join us for a two-day conference connecting artists, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers across Europe to explore new ways of caring through culture.
This conference is for people who want to make a difference at the intersection of culture and care.
Introducing our international keynote speakers
About the conference
This conference explores how culture and care can inspire and strengthen one another in responding to today’s societal challenges. Moving beyond care as solely a medical intervention, the conference highlights a shift towards care as a shared cultural and human practice that supports prevention, resilience, and quality of life.
Art and culture play a vital role in this transformation, while the cultural sector itself is increasingly seeking deeper, more participatory engagement with society.
By bringing art and care into dialogue, the conference examines how their intersection can enrich both care practices and artistic creation, and addresses the policy and structural conditions needed for lasting impact.
Through diverse perspectives and practices — from Arts on Prescription to artist-in-residence programmes in healthcare — the conference places culture and care at the heart of society.
Thursday, Feb 26, 2026
Explore Thursday’s morning plenaries and dive into an afternoon full of impact talks and hands-on workshops.
Friday, Feb 27, 2026
Explore Friday’s morning plenary sessions, then immerse yourself in an afternoon full of inspiring talks and practical workshops.
Thursday afternoon sessions
On Thursday afternoon, you can tailor your conference experience. Choose between a thematic session with powerful impact stories, a hands-on workshop exploring culture and care in action, or an interactive session that invites participation.
Friday afternoon sessions
On Friday you can tailor your conference experience. Choose between a Round Table Discussion, a site visit to the University Hospital or a Workshop.
Leuven is shaping the future of care. Discover Body & Soul, Europe’s first Humanatorium.
Body & Soul, Europe’s first Humanatorium
How can we, as human beings, truly flourish in body and mind — how can we build resilience, create places of happiness, and use movement in a world full of change? That’s the central question behind Body & Soul.
A project with LOV
With “Culture & Care: A Joint Call for Change”, we align ourselves with LOV2030 and contribute to the cultural energy that carries Leuven & Beyond toward European Capital of Culture 2030.
