Kicking off the WITAC project in Tallinn! | Culture, health, and social work in the Baltics
The WITAC project partners gathered in Tallinn on March 17–18, 2025, to kickstart the development of an innovative lifelong learning program aimed at enhancing the well-being of vulnerable groups through the power of arts and culture!
As part of the Erasmus+ WITAC project, experts from the Latvian Academy of Culture, Riga Stradins University, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture Secretariat met in Tallinn earlier this week to kick off work on a new lifelong learning program.
The Inclusive Well-being Through Arts and Culture in the Baltics (WITAC) project is a strategic partnership initiative to develop and test a new model of interdisciplinary collaboration between culture and health in higher education institutions across the Baltic States. As part of the project, five partner organizations will create an innovative lifelong learning curriculum designed to equip students with the essential skills to plan and implement cultural initiatives that enhance the health and well-being of vulnerable groups in society.
The new lifelong learning program will be launched in September 2025, offering students from the Baltic States free participation. As part of the programme, students will also implement practical inclusive well-being pilot projects, each targeting a specific vulnerable group in their respective countries.
During the project partners’ meeting on March 17–18 at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, participants explored similar training programmes in the Nordic countries, gathered insights on the objectives, framework, and content of the new lifelong learning programme, and discussed participant selection principles. They also developed a foundational concept for the programme’s modules and courses. The open call for participants is expected to be announced in August this year, with the official kick-off event scheduled for the second half of September 2025 at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The first details about applying for the new lifelong learning programme, including a ‘save the date’ announcement, will be published in early June.
About WITAC:
Inclusive Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture in the Baltics (WITAC) is a strategic partnership project aimed at developing and testing a new interdisciplinary collaboration model between culture and health in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Baltic States.
The project will strengthen the role of HEIs in fostering an equitable and inclusive society by offering an innovative lifelong learning programme for professionals in the fields of culture, health, and social work. This programme will focus on promoting inclusive wellbeing for vulnerable groups in society through the use of culture and the arts.
