How can culture contribute to healthier, more connected and more resilient European cities?
Culture Next has published Culture as Care: Participation, Health and Collective Well-Being in European Cities, a new policy report exploring the role of cultural participation in strengthening democratic engagement, collective well-being and social cohesion across Europe.
Developed as part of Culture Next’s advocacy work, the report brings together insights from the network’s recent activities, including the 14th Culture Next Conference in Leeuwarden & Friesland (The Netherlands), focused on youth participation, the 15th Culture Next Conference in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), dedicated to culture and well-being, and the thematic working group What Would Nature Say?, coordinated by Leuven (Belgium).
The publication argues that culture should be understood not only as a sector or a collection of artistic activities, but also as a form of social infrastructure that helps people connect, participate, build trust and shape the future of their communities.
At the heart of the report is the concept of Culture as Care, a perspective that highlights how cultural participation can contribute to agency, belonging, resilience and collective responsibility, while supporting broader goals related to health, inclusion, sustainability and democratic life.
The report also presents a series of recommendations addressed to European institutions, national governments, local and regional authorities, cultural networks and cultural operators, calling for stronger recognition of culture as a public good and a key component of urban development.
As the largest network of ECoC-awarded, non-awarded and candidate cities, Culture Next continues to bring together local experiences, policy reflection and international cooperation to strengthen the role of culture in addressing Europe’s most pressing societal challenges.
Together, these efforts reinforce a shared belief: culture is not only something people consume. It is something through which people participate, connect and collectively shape more democratic, resilient and caring urban futures.
