3 X STORIES: Community-Rooted Programmes
Communities flourish when people feel seen and empowered. Locally grounded cultural projects foster belonging, strengthen social cohesion, and support collective resilience.
Story 1_Art Inclusive
Xander Berbé (Lasso, Belgium)
Over the past three years, Art Inclusive has strengthened cultural participation for people with disabilities by connecting cultural institutions with care and disability organizations. The project shows how art enriches lives and how simple adjustments can make participation possible. Through cross-sector collaboration, Art Inclusive offers practical, replicable approaches that inspire more inclusive and accessible cultural programs.
Story 2_The Community Soup Parade
Fabiana Re & Maurizio Bertolini (Teatro Popolare Europeo, Turin, Italy)
A musical and theatrical parade transforms streets into a playful, shared ritual where residents toss vegetables to be caught and later turned into a communal soup. By combining performance, collective creation, and a shared feast, the Parade celebrates diverse voices, strengthens community bonds, and reimagines public spaces as places of connection and care.
Story 3_The Art of Connection
Lara Hardeman, Stefanie Deygers, and Kristine Timperman (Authors of the book The Art of Connection: How the Interaction Method Promotes Mental Well-Being)
This presentation shows how primary care organizations and museums work together to strengthen the mental well-being of local residents. Since 2016, Since 2016, Community Health Centre De Kaai and Museum Dr. Guislain have been applying the Art and Heritage methodology as an accessible and meaningful intervention. Museums are presented as powerful contexts for personal growth, mental resilience, and social change. The approach relies on community-focused work, local networks, and close, transdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare and culture.
Meet the speakers of these stories
Xander Berbé
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
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.
