Friday, Feb 27, 2026
Day 2: Local, Flemish and European voices explore how to find common ground between culture and care. What are the benefits - and what are the challenges? After an afternoon of site visits, panels and workshops, policymakers will close the conference.
MORNING PROGRAMME
09:00 - 09:30
Doors & Coffee
09:30 – 10:00
Welcome
Healing Movements with Brenda Anyango
10:00 – 11:00
Opening Keynote and Panel Discussion
Jolien Posthumus: Culture & Care – Creating Common Ground
This keynote explores how common ground between culture and care is not something we simply find, but something we actively create. Starting from lived practice at the intersection of art and care, it reflects on how cultivating human qualities such as presence, attention, and curiosity for our inner experience forms the basis of a culture of care.
Through the lens of Common Humanity, the keynote invites reflection on what connects us beneath our differences — and how this shared human ground can support us in meeting the inevitable hindrances of real-life co-creation within ongoing collaboration between culture and care. This creates space to explore how the human qualities we cultivate in ourselves shape how we work together — and what this might mean for cultivating a culture of care.
The following panel will tackle the challenges and opportunities of cross-sector collaboration, from co-creation hurdles to shared responsibility, all through the lens of Common Humanity.
Meet the speakers
Nieke Koek © Peter Tijhuis
Junior Akwety
Brenda Anyango
Tessa Kerre
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:30
Breakout sessions
These two sessions run at the same time. You can choose one to join:
Option A:
Panel:
Reinventing Culture & Care Through Arts on Prescription
By Lieve Nagels, Inga Surgente, Paul Milbank & Isabel Vermote.
Discover the power of Arts on Prescription. Explore what it is—and isn’t—who it helps, and its real impact. Hear European experts share insights, inspire ideas, and show how cultural organizations can make it a lasting force for well-being.
Option B:
Talk:
How Can Artists Claim a Meaningful Place Within Care Settings?
Curated and moderated by Mike Michiels, coordinator at KAOS. Inspiring guest speakers: Erik Thys, Simon Allemeersch & Elien Ronse.
Discover how art can enrich care settings. Speakers share insights from psychiatry, theatre, visual arts, and research, showing how art can open new ways of attention, dialogue, and imagination in care.
Meet the speakers
Lieve Nagels
Isabel Vermote
Paul Milbank
Inga Surgunte
Mike Michiels
Erik Thys
Simon Allemeersch
Elien Ronse
12:30 – 13:45
Lunch
AFTERNOON PROGRAMME
14:00 – 15:15
Breakout sessions
15:15 – 16:00
Coffee Break
16:00 – 17:00
Plenary Closing Session
Bringing Policy Makers Together:
- Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor City of Leuven
- Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport at the European Commission (recorded)
- Caroline Gennez, Flemish Minister for Welfare and Poverty Reduction, Culture and Equal Opportunities
- Bart Temmerman, Secretary-General of the Department of Culture, Youth and Media, Flemish Government
- Karine Moykens, Secretary-General of the Department of Care, Flemish Government
- Bert Cornillie, Vice-Mayor for Culture City of Leuven
- Nils Fietje, World Health Organization
Moderated by Kornelia Kiss
Closing remarks by Lien De Keukelaere
Nils Fietje
Caroline Genez @De Morgen
Glenn Micallef
17:00
Closing Reception
20:00
Cultural Evening Programme @ 30CC
In challenging times, 30CC brings optimism with the new Jump for Joy weekend - three days of concerts, cabaret, family shows, circus, and a party night, celebrating joy as hope, resilience, and a brave act of resistance.
A weekend to make you happy:
Conference guests receive free tickets for the two Friday shows mentioned below. Interested? Please contact lef@leuven.be.
Get Off
Discover the bizarre, radical and inclusive oeuvre of British artist Katy Baird!
The human brain registers all pleasure in the same way – be it a delicious meal, a sexual sensation, a recreational drug or heart emojis on Instagram ... But how good do we really feel about all this consumption?
Gente
Gente is the new album and tour by Nancy Vieira, one of Cape Verde's most expressive and representative voices. She brings a beautiful blend of Cape Verdean tradition and new sounds.
Book your ticket
Tickets for Thursday are sold out - Last tickets for Friday available
Thursday, Feb 26, 2026
Explore Thursday’s morning plenaries and dive into an afternoon full of impact talks and hands-on workshops.
Friday in a nutshell
Main location:
STUK (Google Maps)
- 09:00 – Doors & coffee
- 09:30 – Welcome
- 10:00 – Morning sessions: plenary programme with keynotes, panel discussion, and Art on Prescription session.
- 12:30 – Lunch
- 16:00 – Closing session
- 17:00 – Closing reception