Mapping of Initiatives on Culture, Health and Well-being

Wires Crossed - Level 2 was the second step of an innovative education programme to promote positive physical and mental well-being, safe risk-taking, self-control and social inclusion among young people through the art of funambulism (tightwire walking with a balancing pole). The project developed competences for youth circus educators and promoted high-quality youth work that is inclusive and reaches young people with fewer opportunities.
This project was a continuation of cooperation leading to a large-scale European project led by Galway Community Circus and their partners École de Cirque de Bruxelles and CABUWAZI in 2017-2021 as part of the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture programme. The objectives of the project were to develop skills and competences of youth circus educators; help youth circus organisations increase their capacity; improve health and wellbeing and social, personal and life skills of young people; develop and share effective methods in reaching out to marginalized youth; promote social inclusion, solidarity and intercultural dialogue; help young people with fewer opportunities become more engaged and involved in society; help young refugees become more integrated in their local community and connected to young people in other parts of Europe; and to make funambulism a widely used innovative educational method in youth and social circus sector and beyond.

Wires Crossed - Balancing Act for Europe project came about from the desire to provide an inclusive, safe and engaging outlet for young people to take part in physical and creative activities which enhance their sense of well-being. The project reacted to the hidden crisis on youth mental health in Europe by preparing a training for youth circus trainers in funambulism (tightwire walking with a balancing pole) - an activity that combines physical activity, mental well-being techniques and circus arts.
All three areas help young people by providing opportunities for self-expression, building self-confidence, social interaction and integration as well as improving their control over symptoms of anxiety and depression. They also increase positive risk taking both physically and emotionally, they promote physical health and body awareness, increase self-confidence and self-efficacy, improves social connectedness, teamwork, and leadership skills within the group and enables participants to acquire a broadened skill base relating to circus as well as more generic 'life skills'.
One of the project objectives was to improve the health & wellbeing and social, personal & life skills of participants. This project was the first European project of a multi-annual programme, 'Wires Crossed', delivered by Galway Community Circus as one of the anchor projects of Galway European Capital of Culture 2020. Wires Crossed are leading to a large-scale Galway 2020 project culminating in big community gathering in Galway in June 2020 where 400 people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds from all around Europe cross the River Corrib on tightwires to celebrate diversity and highlight the importance of physical and mental well-being.

Small-scale European cultural cooperation project between 4 organisations from 3 countries, which supports artistic and participatory excellence in funambulism (wirewalking with a balancing pole). It focuses on the creation of a new professional funambulism company called 'BassAlto', the creation of a new funambulism performance by BassAlto, and scientific research into the neurological effects of funambulism practice on the brain.
The project dwells on the ideas that funambulism as a circus art is accessible and enjoyable to all and that this unique activity, which requires both body and brain to be fully engaged, provokes a sense of wellbeing which can be proven by neuroscience. It supports a sense of belonging in a safe and accepting environment to a developing and growing transnational community of funambulists and it is relevant for the discussion about the benefits of arts for health and well-being.
The project aims to collaborate with universities and to publish scientific data on the wellness benefits of funambulism. This project is part of a broader programmed called ”Wires Crossed” started in 2017, gathering partners from 13 countries since then, with thousands of participants, instructors, artists and performers interested in funambulism, the art of walking across a wire using a balancing pole.
”Wires Crossed” programme had been developped with funding from 2 EU programmes since 2017: Erasmus+ and Creative Europe. The project was developed during the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture bidding process. At that time the city was faced with a tragic situation as a number of young people took their own lives drowning in the River Corrib. Wires Crossed envisioned a community effort that would bring people from all around Europe together to take part in a crossing of the River Corrib and Claddagh Basin to highlight the importance of positive mental health within our communities with a public display of hope, solidarity, and strength.

This second edition of the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor shows how well 190 cities in 30 European countries perform on a range of measures describing the ‘Cultural Vibrancy’, the ‘Creative Economy’ and the ‘Enabling Environment’ of a city. As one of the 65 actions of the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage, the Monitor wants to support the European Commission’s efforts to put culture at the heart of its policy agenda through evidence and success stories in cities. Under the Cultural Vibrancy domain of the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor there is one dimension - D1.1 Cultural Venues & Facilities - which includes explicit mentions about the fact that participation in cultural activities enhances the connection people have to each other and to the place, and improves their creative skills and psychological well-being.

The Early Years Festival is a new initiative addressed to families with very young children. The Early Years Festival is a wide-ranging family artistic event, focusing on creating friendly, safe, and creative encounters with art. It is also a space for the exchange of thoughts and energy, focusing on proposals addressed to professionals interested in developing a workshop for creative work with children. Together with the audiences, organizers want to discover new approaches for togetherness, expand cognitive boundaries, provide artistic experiences, create conditions for deepening relationships and creative development. They approach hybrid formula - stage events are accompanied by workshops, radio plays, and performances presented online, in compliance with all the safety rules related to the exposure of young children to digital screens. Art Fraction Foundation work on the belief that one of the paths to the proper development of children is to provide them and their loved ones with a safe space for creation and unrestricted play, which not only contributes to physical and mental development, but above all serves to strengthen the bond between them and their parents.

The project is realised in Poznan and other public places around the Greater Poland Voivodeship based on the idea of music therapy community. Musicians and music therapists lead participants in the spontaneous creation of music. Music therapy sessions are open to anyone, and are also carried out in hospitals and hospices. Particularly targeted at groups that are facing social exclusion and intended to foster better well-being and social cohesion between groups that usually don't interact with each other.

The initiative focuses on reaching out with live music to amongst others social welfare homes, hospital units and special schools in the Mazowsze region. Aim of the project is counteracting cultural exclusion, helping those listening to relax, reduce stress. It was particularly noted that residents of social welfare homes and psychiatric patients were affected by loneliness. Through the music therapy community a sense of belonging, identity and functioning in a group is desired. The project emphasizes artistic as well as therapeutic activities.

A dedicated new space for older people to come and socialise as well as used for an artistic programme to integrate older people and counteract loneliness including art therapy, music therapy and bibliotherapy. In this space regular activities are bringing together seniors, leading to better integration and social interactions for this group. Also, this community space is helping them to create an active community and reducing loneliness.

Various state cultural Institutions in Rybnik, but also private organisations, including several local centres for culture, have come together to provide an offer for child refugees from Ukraine. These include animation workshops, film screenings, concerts, and dance workshops at the Rybnik Theatre. The following institutions are also offering art therapy workshops: Galeria Sztuki Zakamarek w Gliwicach, Klub Pracowników Politechniki Śląskiej w Gliwicach, Centrum Kształcenia Ustawicznego Filia Politechniki Śląskiej w Rybniku oraz Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Katowicach. Ukrainian refugee children benefit from meetings others in their situation, building social skills, taking their mind off trauma and negative emotions and learning new cultural skills.

"Overcome illness and loneliness with art" is an exhibition of artworks organized by PERSONA Association. The artworks were produced by the participants of a senior's club as well as art therapy workshops for those with mental disabilities. The mission of the PERSONA Association is the rehabilitation of people with mental health issues, the elderly, homeless and those at risk of social exclusion, by increasing the participation of people from marginalised groups in society, reducing their stress and anxieties, increasing motivation to take on new challenges, developing positive self-worth and igniting interests and passions.