Discover our international speakers

Mohamed Ridouani is the mayor of the city of Leuven, Belgium. He is dedicated to transforming Leuven into a thriving and caring community. He strongly believes in the power of collaboration and the importance of building future-proof communities based on hope and trust, as opposed to polarization and distrust.

Séverine Vermeire has been Rector of KU Leuven since August 2025, the first woman in this role. A physician and internationally recognized expert in gastroenterology, she champions joy at work, learning, and connectedness at the university.

Darren Abrahams is an international coach, singer, and trauma specialist who helps individuals and organisations thrive after crisis by blending neuroscience, embodied practice, and creative expression.

Prof. dr. Tineke Abma is Director of the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing and Professor of Art and Care, advocating for a more humane, inclusive care system where art and creativity support well-being.

Tawona Sitholé is UNESCO Artist-in-Residence at the University of Glasgow and co-founder of the creative group Seeds of Thought. In his practice he naturally weaves together culture and care.

Lode Godderis, Professor at KU Leuven and CEO of IDEWE, explores the interplay between work and health and the benefits of integrating culture and care.

Jan Vanwezer is the director of the care home De Wingerd and co-founder of the cooperative LIVEZ in Leuven, where he promotes community-rooted models of care.

Tinne Claes, Academic Director of the new Vesalius Museum in Leuven, studies how medical history and museum practices may shape public debates on health.

Andrew Greenwood, former ballet dancer and co-founder of Switch2Move, creates movement programmes that support empathy, connection and well-being.

Ehsan Natour is a leading cardiothoracic surgeon. He uses patient-based art forms to reveal the emotional dimensions of major heart surgery and to offer comfort where science alone cannot always reach.

Anna Kint is co-founder of Coconuts and founder and social designer at Freckle. Freckle is a design agency for social change.

Jolle Desloover is coordinator of DURF2030, an organisation linked to the City of Kortrijk that challenges public and private organisations in Kortrijk and the surrounding region to experiment with social change.

Sieg Pauwels is coordinator for society and innovation at De Wissel, a support network for vulnerable young people and young families.

Tania Nyanguile is a clinical psychologist. In addition to her professional practice, she actively works to bring taboo topics and relevant issues into open and vulnerable conversation. She does this through her podcast, "Vulnera".

Grietje D’Hollander is a cultural practitioner working at the intersection of art, care, nature, and public space. She works in Public Engagement at the Middelheim Museum in Antwerp, where she develops and fosters co-creative practices that connect art, nature, heritage, and wellbeing.

An Pauwels is a community builder at De Grote Post and curator for FAAR. She co-creates VUURWERK, focusing on participatory work with young people and local communities, grounded in care, trust, and inclusive collaboration.

Griet Dobbelaere is a community builder at De Grote Post in Ostend and works at the intersection of art, participation, and education. She co-creates VUURWERK, a winter festival centered on light, darkness, encounter, and collective imagination.

Kenneth Michiels is a filmmaker and creative producer at Moose & Tash. Working across documentary, participatory, and artistic film, he collaborates with youth on stories of identity and imagination. A Film graduate of KASK Gent, he received the VAF Wildcard for his graduation film.

Eva De Rycke is Coordinator of Art at the Ensor Institute and teaches Manual Studio in the Decor, Window Display & Advertising programme. As an art teacher, she is passionate about sharing her talent while creating an open, safe environment where young people’s personal expression comes first.

Dr. Saloua Berdai Chaouni is a gerontologist and biomedical scientist with extensive academic and practice-oriented expertise in equitable (dementia) care for older migrants, with a strong focus on epistemic justice through methodological innovation in participatory research.

Migration and stories are a common thread in the life of Nadia Babazia. As a sociologist and anthropologist, she has been working for 15 years at the Red Star Line Museum focusing on participation and outreach.

With an MSc in Social Challenges, Policies and Interventions, Alison Cronin is an advocate for the use of creativity in the provision of care. Her work focuses on the value of participatory arts practices for older adults, particularly their role in addressing social isolation and loneliness.

Karen Wuytens is an artist and researcher who investigates objects as active carriers of meaning, shaped by context, ritual, and care.

Prof. Dr. Bert Willems is Head of Research at MAD-Research (PXL-MAD, UHasselt). He specializes in research policy and discourse in the arts, with a focus on the societal and academic value of artistic research.

Bieke Verlinden is Alderman for Care and Wellbeing in Leuven. Her engagement is rooted in a broad vision of care: supporting people in all stages of life, including in grief and loss, and for those who are no longer with us.

Xander Berbé works on cultural participation with and for people with a disability. Through Art Inclusive, he developed practical ways to make arts and culture more accessible and meaningful for diverse audiences.

Fabiana Re is a Project Designer of cultural projects with social impact and a Grant Writer working at the intersection of wellbeing promotion and territorial development, with a specific focus on rural and inner areas.

Diederick Nuyttens is a painter and musician affiliated with TOON (the national service role for healthcare heritage).

Femke Paulussen is Head of Collections at Vesalius Museum. Drawing on her background in heritage and participatory practice, she works towards a polyvocal approach to healthcare collections, translated into a public programme based on object-based learning.

Dr. Daryna Zhyvohliadova is a Ukrainian cultural professional and academic with an expertise in contemporary management and knowledge exchange practices for international cultural cooperation, as well as in strategies and tactics for safeguarding heritage during wartime

Brenda Anyango is an independent clinical psychologist, behavioural therapist, speaker, and space creator working under the name SemaNami—meaning “talk to me” in her mother tongue, Swahili.

Anabel Schellekens is a dancer and choreographer.

Katja Pire is a dancer and choreographer.

Kato Vanpoperinghe is a policy officer at the Flemish Government, where she works within the Department of Culture, Youth and Media (Transversal Policy Team) on strengthening the links between culture, welfare, and health.

Carla Molenberghs is the director, co-founder, and driving spirit of Huis Perrekes vzw. At Huis Perrekes, people live together harmoniously in a familiar environment that invites, supports, and lets go. Nature, art, and culture are intertwined with everyday life.

Isabel's work develops sustainable and innovative projects for diverse audiences, with a strong focus on art and care, including art on prescription, dementia initiatives, and palliative care.

Tessa Kerre is Head of the department Hematology and Full Professor at Ghent University Hospital, and a leading researcher in immunotherapy, stem-cell transplantation, and patient-centred care.

Jos Verbist is an actor and director. He teaches at RITCS and serves as artistic director of Theatre Antigone in Kortrijk, a company that played a pioneering role in the emergence of socially engaged art practices in Flanders.

Izzeldin Abuelaish is a Palestinian-Canadian physician, author, and peace activist. After the tragic loss of three of his daughters and a niece in 2009, he dedicated his life to peace and reconciliation. He is the author of I Shall Not Hate and a five-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, using health as a bridge to peace.

Veronika Skliarova is a Ukrainian cultural manager, theatre producer and curator working at the intersection of art and psychosocial care. She is the director of the NGO ART DOT and founder of Art Therapy Force, a leading Ukrainian initiative that integrates trauma-informed art practices into the cultural and educational sectors.

Jolien Posthumus has a background in applied arts, art history, and trauma-sensitive mindfulness, and supports organisations in developing cultures of care through arts-based interventions.

Brenda Anyango is an independent clinical psychologist, behavioural therapist, speaker, and space creator working under the name SemaNami—meaning “talk to me” in her mother tongue, Swahili.

Junior Akwety is a Belgian-Congolese multidisciplinary artist who works across music, theatre, and pedagogy, using collective creation as a space for care, memory, and community building.

Tessa Kerre is Head of the department Hematology and Full Professor at Ghent University Hospital, and a leading researcher in immunotherapy, stem-cell transplantation, and patient-centred care.

Nieke Koek is an interdisciplinary artist who works with the body as a source of knowledge in healthcare and research contexts, using art to deepen communication and insight in care.

Paul Milbank has played a crucial role in shaping Arts on Prescription in Jersey, connecting health, cultural, and community partners.

Lieve Nagels is a physician and Arts & Health researcher who coordinates Strength through Art in Leuven.

Inga Surgunte is a cultural policy expert who drives Arts on Prescription in the Baltic States and advises on integrating arts into public health strategies.

Isabel's work develops sustainable and innovative projects for diverse audiences, with a strong focus on art and care, including art on prescription, dementia initiatives, and palliative care.

Mike Michiels is the coordinator of KAOS. He holds a Master’s degree in Arts from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and is trained as a mental health nurse.

Erik Thys is a psychiatrist, researcher, and visual artist, affiliated with UPC KU Leuven and the Psycho-Social Centre Ixelles. His work spans mental health, creativity, and history, and includes acclaimed books on psychiatric persecution and Nazi collaboration.

Simon Allemeersch is a theatre maker and member of the collective Lucinda Ra, as well as a researcher at Ghent University. His doctoral research explores housing trajectories in social high-rise buildings, drawing on residents’ lived experiences of mental health care.

Elien Ronse is a visual artist working across disciplines including contemporary art, community practice, political activism, and theoretical research. Her work critically examines problematic relational mechanisms in late-capitalist society.

Koen Balcaen has served since 2010 as the Chief Nursing and Allied Health Professional Officer at University Hospitals Leuven, where he leads with a strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and high‑quality patient care.

Sofie Salu is the coordinator of the Art for the Children’s Hospital Fund. The fund views art and creative expression as an essential part of the healing process of young patients.

Inge Bracke works as a music therapist at the University Children’s Hospital in Leuven. She also teaches music to children and adults with special needs in the Music Academy in Grimbergen.

Jennifer Regidor is a multidisciplinary creative artist with a passion for dance and a heart devoted to connecting people through movement. Alongside leading her own contemporary dance company Lune and several youth dance companies, she works as a dance teacher and artistic coordinator at the dance humanities program of the Lemmens Institute in Leuven.

Sofie Missorten, part of the management team of the Public Library, City of Leuven, focuses on making the library as accessible as possible to everyone, even in places where you might not expect it, such as hospitals, on the road and neighbourhood libraries.

Dieter Deplancke is Head of Department at the Leuven Library, City of Leuven, and a passionate advocate for the intersection of culture, art, and wellbeing.

Charlotte van Peer is a dedicated team member at Museum M in Leuven, passionate about making art accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.

Jessie Van Couwenberghe is the Mission Leader for Climate-Neutral Leuven at the City of Leuven, driving initiatives that advance sustainability and climate action.

Katrien Rycken is the director of Leuven 2030, where she leads initiatives that drive sustainable, inclusive, and forward-thinking urban development. She is passionate about fostering cross-sector collaboration and shared leadership to address complex societal challenges.

Fredo De Smet is an independent curator and consultant exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and society.

Robin ibens is the (co-)founder of The Kind Kids, Shaved Monkey, Newworldarchitects and Stay Close. All companies that are bringing people closer to what matters.

Sarah Faict is a communication scientist, amateur philosopher, and team and organization developer, dedicated to making collaboration a core goal in organizations.

Lotte Nijsten is a sound artist and radio producer. She holds a master’s degree in Language and Literature from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and graduated from the Radio department at RITCS in 2020, where she also obtained a pedagogical degree in 2022.

Emma Michelle Ducheyne is a sound artist and multimedia creator with a strong interest in combining disciplines and exploring new forms. Her recent work focuses on interpersonal connections and telling personal stories through audio and multimedia.

Simon Gabriël Beerten is a physician with a background in molecular biology. He works part-time as a general practitioner and as a postdoctoral researcher at KU Leuven.

Simon Neerinckx is Head of the Public Green Department for the City of Leuven, where he and his team work every day to create more beautiful, healthier, and more accessible green spaces for everyone.

Kornelia Kiss leads Culture Action Europe's work on Culture and Health and co-authored the CultureForHealth Report, advocating for culture as key to health and well-being on an European level.

Technical Officer, Behavioural and Cultural Insights Unit, WHO Regional Office for Europe. Co-founder/Co-director, Jameel Arts & Health Lab.

Karine Moykens is Secretary-General of the Department of Care at the Flemish Government.

Bert Cornillie is the alderman for culture, events, arts education and staff at the city of Leuven. Ex officio, Bert is the president of Museum M, Leuven’s cultural center 30CC, and festival organiser LEF.