Mapping of Initiatives on Culture, Health and Well-being

"The Museum Through the Window" is an initiative organized by the Pedagogical Museum of Children's Art (MuPAI) at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Complutense University of Madrid, dedicated to the study of art in childhood (made by children). This project was made with the aim of improving the quality of life for children and teenagers through a series of artistic proposals to be carried out at home, serving as both the conceptual and physical starting point. The activities were mediated remotely by the museum's team of educators during the months of May, June, and July 2020, in response to the (de)confinement situation due to COVID-19.
The main objective of this study has been to evaluate the capacity of contemporary artistic practices as a tool to promote the well-being of children and young people at home. Likewise, the development and design of this educational program have allowed us to analyze the possibilities and implications of adapting our pedagogical proposals to the context of distance art education.
The methodology used for the research is identified as analytical-synthetic, carefully studying each practice carried out and finally examining its different processes holistically. This methodology consisted of designing artistic and educational proposals based on the work of contemporary artists (e.g., Guerrilla Girls, Colektivof, Los Torreznos, etc.) that could be developed in the participants’ homes, becoming their experimental space.
The activities took place through weekly one-hour meetings, where the educators introduced the participants to the work of the artists through the visualization of explanatory videos, proposing specific challenges to be developed. Thanks to remote support, certain specific activities were carried out, while the rest of the proposals were autonomously developed in their homes. In the following meetings, the results and conclusions were shared in order to weave a network of knowledge through shared artistic experiences.
Through observations of the educators, the results of proposals, and evaluations provided by the participants, it is noteworthy that the implementation of these activities in homes had a positive effect on the well-being of the participants, demonstrating great enjoyment and enthusiasm.
After reviewing the various adaptations made during the process, we can conclude that the parameters of redesign, support, guidance, and assistance have been fundamental both for the formalization and the development of the activities. These aspects were embodied in the figure of the mediators, who were completely essential for the execution of the proposals. Together with the participation of families, a context of intergenerational, plural, and enriching exchange and care was established for all parties. Undoubtedly, this project has opened the possibility of a future line of research on the possibilities of these proposals in the field of non-formal education.

The project Culture and Health, presented in March 2020, aims to value artistic and cultural practices and projects whose goal is to improve the physical and mental well-being of people and communities. Moreover, the project:
-facilitates the use of the Arts and Culture as tools for promoting health and preventing illness, as supports for treatment trajectories and relationships
-promotes and supports the spread of Culture and Health for knowledge, research, and specialized training; the development of projects and good practices by sharing existing opportunities and generating favorable new conditions
-stimulates dialogue and cooperation between the sectors of culture, social assistance, and health care with a view to enhancing social quality and sustainable development.
Amongst its many developed projects, Culture & Health launched the First Swiss Forum on the subject in 2021, which will be followed by biennial encounters. Since 2021 the project has also developed a yearly academic course in Culture and Health in collaboration with the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of USI. Lastly, Culture and Health has developed a Fund in support of partnership projects involving artists and healthcare structures in order to develop cultural activities that take place at sites where healthcare is provided.
Additional information on the project is available on our site, which also contains a number of selected best practices carried out over the last 10 years.

The culture of agreement wishes to inspire and provide concrete tools so that people experiencing dementia can find in carers/caregivers the reality of true and equal encounters between human beings. Concretely, they use the tools of theatre pedagogy and conscious breathing knowledge: through the exercises actors use to prepare and get to know each other to activate the dreams of the audience,they co-construct carers' self-knowledge. Why? Because people with dementia are experts in emotion and relationship, but they no longer know how to use it consciously. As Ploton says, 'as they are no longer interlocutors, they become inter-actors', i.e. they stage with their body and behaviour what they want, or need, but without being able to choose or regulate its manifestation and intensity.

An online platform featuring video's and written stories about internationals in Aarhus and how they try and find a sense of belonging and home through participation in the cultural landscape of Aarhus.

Since 2013, Stichting Droomtheater has been producing interdisciplinary puppet theatre, and organizing presentations and workshops featuring shadow theatre. In conjunction with various narrative techniques, this ancient Chinese art form offers great possibilities for small-scale theatre shows and workshops for special target groups. The audiences are easily captured, fascinated, and motivated to participate in the creative, interactive sessions following the theatre shows.

Virtual International Puppetry Residency for puppeteers, teachers and health and community workers from the Netherlands and countries they met since the start of the colonial realations around 1600 especially South East India. What are the links they share in the past, what are the connections now and what is needed for the future of the planet, plants, animals and humans included. Each participant creates short puppetry video's and they share their experiences during the process. They will finish with a open, public presentation and will present the whole process and product at the UNIMA Congress and International Puppetry Festival 2025 in Chuncheon Korea.

Brundibar: The creative process as a path to wellbeing of childhood trauma is a National funded R&D research project, which aims to investigate intervention methodologies through art that help children and adolescents to overcome adverse experiences, as well as to develop observation, evaluation and research records. It is also committed to developing prevention strategies in social, cultural, clinical and educational spheres in interdisciplinary collaboration with different professional teams.
With a four-year lifespan (2021-2025) Brundibar develops pilot workshops with methodologies based on metaphor and narrative therapies, with the participation of museums and cultural institutions and the collaboration of Save The Children. The following products are planned to be developed:
- Validated intervention methodologies that promote the improvement of well-being in vulnerable children and adolescents.
- Observation register with validated observable indicators to measure the degree of improvement.
- Intervention tool through art, which can be applied as an evaluation and intervention tool.

Puppetry in designing and performing. Young Ukrainian refugee pupils of two classes were given the possibility to create and build a personal or visional place. They designed a shoe-box with free choose out of many materials and colors. There was no right or false. Children were completely free in creating. They got help in realizing own ideas. Followed by the creating of small rod-puppets and with use of small finds little scenes were performed. This helped to gather the individual and collective emotions and visions. The children could close the box with a lid and take it away. It was an act of re-orientation, arriving and safe space. They laughed and were proud. It had prophylactic effects against posttraumatic disorders.

Locus* is a pioneering project in Madrid that explores the intersection of community culture and mental health, challenging traditional notions of a "place of safety" and promoting mutual support and coexistence with madness through creative expression. It aims to shift the conversation around mental health towards a more inclusive and empowering approach, inspiring new ways of thinking about mental health in our communities.
Locus* has gained support from various cultural institutions, including Medialab Prado, La Casa Encendida, and the Reina Sofía Museum since its establishment in 2019. The project has gained recognition for its community-focused initiatives in mental health and creative expression and has been featured in major media outlets. It has also received awards from organizations such as the Manantial Foundation.
Locus* is inspired by the original Mad Pride movement and aims to destigmatize mental health problems, promote connections and relationships, and cultivate creative and cultural interests. The project seeks to move beyond hyper-medicalization and towards a more holistic and compassionate approach to mental health challenges, with the goal of creating a more inclusive and supportive society.
Locus* is a cultural project produced by Nada Colectivo, an association that creates and produces events and activities with a social focus, promoting art and culture as tools for social transformation and inclusion. They collaborate with local organizations and communities to create projects that promote cultural diversity and generate a positive impact on communities, all while promoting critical reflection through art and culture.
Locus* is led by a diverse team of individuals with personal experience of mental health issues, who are passionate about using creativity and community-building to effect social change. They have made Locus* a pioneering force in the field of "Mad Culture" in Spain. The team's multicultural background has been a key factor in Locus*' success, creating an inclusive and welcoming community. They are committed to ensuring that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
Locus* is a cultural initiative that challenges traditional notions of community, culture, and art by promoting inclusivity, creativity, and social transformation. It breaks down stigmas around mental health issues and fosters an empathetic and supportive society through community building and mutual support. Locus* has gained recognition and support from cultural institutions and organizations in Spain and beyond. As a valuable cultural project that promotes diversity, creativity, and cultural exchange, Locus* embodies the values at the core of the European identity and has the potential to inspire similar initiatives across Europe and beyond.

The Urban Art District Badia Lost & Found of Lentini is a project of urban regeneration that has transformed the streets of the historical neighborhood Badia in an open art gallery and civic laboratory, with more than 40 artworks designed by local and international artists. It’s the first street art district in the province of Siracusa, in Sicily. Social innovation and urban regeneration through Contemporary Arts changed the social fabric of the territory and activated processes of cooperation and widespread hospitality. The artworks are not just “decorations” but are deeply connected to the territory and tell stories about Lentini and its surroundings, its myths, legends and its historical figures. They gave new value to the neighborhood and became one of the principal attractions of the city, as well as being welcomed by the citizens. Walks, activities, cultural exchanges helped regain a sense of belonging among the citizens. Moreover, public art interventions are positively impacting on the local housing market and on tourism, launching new opportunities for the economic fabric of the territory.
The organization aims to stimulate the local community to write the pages of its own future through a shared project. A dream, a vision, but also a concrete goal that they want to reach together. They firmly believe that being responsible for their territory means to return memory and dignity to it.
Badia Lost & Found is a project that uses art practices to regenerate the urban and social fabric. They intend art as a “new light” that makes people see what was in the shadow and project it to the contemporary environment: they not only study and archive the heritage, they update it, to reflect on the past cultural production engaging with today’s artists, by involving art galleries, foundations, archivists and scholars on different fields.
We have been working in contemporary art production by supporting new generations of artists, who are the necessary engine to the renewal of society. We curate artists residencies aimed at experimentation through the discovery and valorisation of cultural, artistic, historical, tangible and intangible heritage.