Culture, heritage and creative industries for health and well-being

The EU-funded research and innovation project “Culture, heritage and creative industries for health and well-being” aims to develop evidence-based, scalable, and reproducible methods. These methods are intended to enable cultural and creative experience institutions (CHIs and CCSI) as well as other stakeholders to design targeted cultural experiences that promote physical and mental health. Over a period of 36 months, consortia consisting of companies, educational institutions, non-profit, and public organizations in up to 27 EU regions will be supported. With a budget of up to €4,000,000 (100% funding rate), the Horizon Europe program supports personnel and material costs, travel, as well as subcontracting expenses. Together, upstream market analyses and pilot trials will be used to test innovative cultural interventions in crisis situations, for example through digital offerings in virtual exhibition spaces or participatory video game formats in online communities.

The program specifically addresses actors in the cultural and creative industries, researchers, civil society organizations, and health partners. Eligibility for application requires legal personality in a Horizon Europe participating country as well as experience in international research projects. The project outline, budget plan, CV of the principal investigator, and a statement on ethics assessment must be submitted by 23.09.2027. With strict evaluation criteria – scientific innovation content, societal benefit, and quality of implementation – it is ensured that the developed practices contribute sustainably to resilience and well-being and strengthen enthusiasm for Europe’s cultural heritage in the long term.