Roundtable discussion: ‘Arts&Wellbeing: Livelihoods and entrepreneurial opportunities for artists and cultural workers’

Save the date for April 11th, where from 10:00 to 11:30 EEST, the AWAKE project’s roundtable ‘Arts & Wellbeing: Livelihoods and entrepreneurial opportunities for artists and cultural workers’ is set to unfold! Seize this exclusive opportunity to engage in a stimulating online dialogue! 

Link for the roundtable discussion: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89257101511

Link for the interactive follow-up discussion after the roundtable: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86369298960

Across Europe, the fusion of arts and wellbeing is gaining momentum. Artists are increasingly intrigued by the prospect of leveraging their creative expertise in the realms of health and wellbeing, while healthcare organizations are embracing collaborations with arts professionals to enhance the wellbeing of patients and communities alike. However, it’s apparent that initiatives bridging the arts and wellbeing sectors often remain short-lived, project-driven endeavours sustained primarily by the enthusiasm of involved parties. The sustainability of these actions is a subject of debate, as ongoing endeavours with stable financial backing are a rarity. In the new and fragile field of arts and wellbeing, sharing knowledge and learning from peers across borders is essential for its growth and the development of new ideas on how to promote the sustainable livelihoods and impacts of arts and wellbeing practices. 

Thus the focus of the upcoming roundtable will be: 

• Practical experiences of arts & wellbeing services and products; 
• Skills and support needed to make Arts & Wellbeing practices sustainable; 
• Access points of arts and culture practitioners into the health sector.  Expectations and reality.

The roundtable is designed to benefit: 

• Seasoned Arts & Wellbeing practitioners seeking fresh insights; 
• Aspiring soon-to-be entrepreneurs contemplating their entry into the Arts & Wellbeing arena. 

The event features a line-up of professionals from various backgrounds in the arts and wellbeing sectors, offering a rich mosaic of perspectives and experiences: 

Kornelia Kiss is Head of Research and Development at Culture Action Europe. As the co-author of the ’CultureForHealth Report. Culture’s contribution to health and well-being. A report on evidence and policy recommendations for Europe”, she is striving to drive policy change across Europe in this area and its intersection.  

Angelica Postu is the lead advocate of music therapy in Romania who currently works as a music therapist at the Charité University Hospital for Psychiatry in Berlin and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Arts in Berlin, where she researches the development and implementation of music therapy in Romania. With a unique and rich blend of psychology, music therapy, and stage performance education and experience, Angelica serves as a trainer and speaker in personal development, emotional awareness, understanding, and management of emotions through music’s profound impact on well-being. Working actively as a well-being trainer for musicians, Angelica Postu contributes significantly to developing and raising awareness about the importance of emotional health for musicians.  

Tine Van Goethen is the head of the Audience Engagement Department at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels (Bozar). Tine holds degrees in Political Sciences and Cultural Management from Leuven and Brussels, and brings years of professional experience in the cultural and creative sectors. With a strong focus on collaboration, networking, and organizational skills, she possesses expertise in program development within the realms of education, learning, and participation. Passionate about art, culture, and education, Tine has a particular interest in inclusive practices. She’s always eager to forge meaningful partnerships and engage with new audiences.  

Isto Turpeinen, Doctor of Arts (Dance), is dance expert, researcher, and pedagogue. Currently he is working as Senior Specialist at Art, Health and Wellbeing Advisory Service in Art Promotion Centre Finland. A recent focus area (2022-2023) of his work has been the project ‘Wellbeing and Culture for Aging,’ part of the National Program of Aging 2030 – For an age-competent Finland.  

Julie Läderach is a cellist and co-director of Collectif Tutti in Bordeaux, France. For around 15 years, in collaboration with the dancer-choreographer Sylvain Méret, she has been working with and around very early childhood (‘BB’, ‘3pM’ or ‘Eclosion’), fostering connections among parents, children, and infant care professionals.  

Sylvain Méret is a dance performer, choreographer and Master Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist. His latest projects, including ‘BB’ (for babies and parents), ‘Oumaï’ (an immersive installation for youth), ‘Les Talentueux’ (featuring autistic performers), and ‘éclosion’ (workshops and a toolbox for babies, parents, and infant professionals), are aimed at exploring diversity and inclusivity in how individuals and communities engage with and participate in dance music events. Actively involved in spreading somatic movement awareness through the association le Souffle co-créateur, Sylvain teaches Continuum based workshops, classes, retreats and private sessions in France and Europe.  

Moderator: Inga Surgunte, Culture Programme Director at the Latvian National Commission for UNESCO, focuses on the cultural sector’s impact on sustainable development, including health and well-being. Exploring culture and health policy approaches in her master’s thesis she graduated from the Latvian Academy of Culture in 2023. With experience in heritage interpretation and museum work since 2008, she collaborated with the Eduards Veidenbaums Museum Kalāči from 2021 to 2023 to develop Latvia’s first permanent exhibition and educational program on mental health. In 2023 Inga has co-authored the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture and Northern Dimension Partnership on Health and Social Wellbeing co-produced guide ‘Talking Points: Arts and Health in Communities’. Currently Inga also leads the Museums on Prescription programme in Cēsis municipality, part of the “Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region” project.

She has also been involved in the ‘CultureForHealth’ project that lead up to the inclusion of the ‘culture and health’ priority in the current EU work plan for culture and is representing the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia in the European Commission OMC group Culture and Health.

Following the roundtable, from 11:30 to 12:30 EET, the project partners will be organising onsite or online discussions to delve more in local and regional perspectives of the questions raised by the roundtable. At the NDPC website you can register for the international online discussion, read about the local events in Helsinki in Finland here and Bordeaux in France here.

Join us on this transformative journey, promoting future solutions for holistic wellbeing and economic sustainability for both – the cultural and health sectors!  

 Context: 

 The ‘AWAKE: Arts & Wellbeing as a Creative Business and Future Livelihood’ project aims to explore the intersection of arts and wellbeing from the perspective of creative business and future livelihood.  

By spotlighting emerging collaborative practices between arts and wellbeing, the project will: 

– provide valuable educational material (a case book of business models); 

– provide training opportunities (workshops and a bootcamp); 

– facilitate a purposeful and diverse round table discussions. 

Our goal is to create avenues for entrepreneurial ventures and business prospects within this dynamic field. The work on the implementation will span over two years from November 2023 until October, 2025. Read more about the project here.  

‘AWAKE: Arts & Wellbeing as a Creative Business and Future Livelihood’ project is implemented by the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture, in close partnership with The Lapinlahti hospital – Centre for Culture, Arts and Mental Well-being (Lapinlahden Lähde) from Finland, Cluj Cultural Centre (Centrul Cultural Clujean) from Romania and The Culture & Health Center (Pôle Culture et Santé Nouvelle Aquitaine) from France. We are glad to share the journey also with associated partners: Creative Industries Incubator by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA Radošo industriju inkubātors) from Latvia, The Tallinn Business Incubators Foundation (Tallinna Loomeinkubaator) from Estonia, Arts & Health Coordination Centre of the Arts Academy at Turku University of Applied Sciences Taikusydän (Turun Ammattikorkeakoulu) from Finland, National Centre of Expertise for Cultural Education and Amateur Arts (Stichting Kennisinstituut Cultuureducatie en Amateurkunst) from the Netherlands and Pauls Stradiņš Medical History Museum (Paula Stradiņa Medicīnas vēstures muzejs) from Latvia.