The Culture & Health Forum 2026 in Vienna, Austria
How can we continue to strengthen the role of culture and the arts in creating healthier societies?
Over the past week, artists, health professionals, researchers, policymakers, cultural organisations, and changemakers from across Europe and beyond came together in Vienna to exchange ideas, challenge perspectives, share practices, and explore this important question.
The Culture & Health Forum 2026, hosted by ARTS for HEALTH AUSTRIA, provided an important space for dialogue around the growing relationship between culture, health, and well-being, and the ways in which this work can be strengthened through policy, practice, research, and collaboration.
Davinia Galea, Managing Director of ARC Research & Consultancy, participated in a panel organised within the Culture & Health Platform consortium, focusing on how we can advocate more effectively for Culture and Health and strengthen its place within policy and decision-making.
Joining the panel were:
• Edyta Ruta, PASMO Social Resilience Institute, Poland
• Broula Barnohro Oussi, Stockholm Region, Sweden
• Rarita Zbranca, Cluj Cultural Centre, Romania
The discussion was moderated by Kornelia Kiss of Culture Action Europe, Lead Partner of the Culture & Health Platform consortium.
Malta was also represented at the Forum by Simone Inguanez from Arts Council Malta, together with Maltese artist Emma Grima, a beneficiary of the Culture and Health Platform Fund for the Maltese Islands, which supports artistic initiatives exploring the connections between culture, creativity, health, and well-being.
The Forum was another valuable opportunity to connect experiences from different European contexts and consider how advocacy, evidence, artistic practice, and cross-sectoral partnerships can help ensure that culture and the arts are increasingly recognised as an integral part of healthier societies.
