CARE: Culture for Mental Health + RYŠIAI | LABOUR

CARE HUB: LABOUR

CARE: Culture for Mental Health + Mental Health Arts Festival RYŠIAI 2026 (BONDS)Vilnius, June 4-5, 2026

The CARE HUB in Vilnius focuses on the theme of LABOUR, exploring how both visible and invisible forms of work shape individual lives and societal structures. Labour is not only economic activity - it is deeply tied to identity, dignity, and belonging. Yet people experiencing mental health difficulties or disability are often excluded from labour markets and, consequently, from wider social participation. At the same time, care work - frequently unpaid, gendered, and hidden - remains undervalued, despite being fundamental to sustaining life and society.

The CARE HUB reflects internationally and locally relevant challenges and realities. Across Europe, the cultural sector faces decreasing funding alongside increasing expectations to contribute to public health, social cohesion, and democratic participation. Despite this, cultural labour remains precarious and often under-recognised. By foregrounding these tensions, the CARE HUB positions culture not only as a tool for wellbeing, but also as a field of labour that demands visibility, fairness, and structural support.

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The CARE HUB: LABOUR in Vilnius is part of the CARE: Culture for Mental Health project and the 4th edition of the Lithuanian Mental Health Arts Festival RYŠIAI (BONDS). Developed from the study visit model of the CultureForHealth project, the CARE HUB creates a mobile, 1-3 day platform across six European cities, bringing together local and international professionals, artists, policymakers, and communities for exchange, learning, and inspiration.

Taking place in Vilnius on June 4 - 5, 2026, CARE HUB: LABOUR brings together dialogue, artistic expression, and lived experience to open new perspectives on how we value work, support mental health, and imagine more inclusive futures. 

The programme responds to these questions through an interdisciplinary, practice-based approach that combines artistic, social, practical, and policy perspectives, and is structured around four interconnected strands: Workshops and Policy Dialogues, Study Visits, Trainings and Capacity Building, and the Artistic Programme.

Stay tuned for the full programme!

The conference will be held in English.

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Co-produced by the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture and Mental Health Arts Festival Ryšiai in the framework of the CARE – Culture for Mental Health project. Co-funded by the EU.