Council Conclusions on a Work Plan for Culture 2015-2018

Member States’ Ministers of Culture define their priorities for cultural policy making at EU level in multi-annual Work Plans (usually 4 years) adopted in form of conclusions by the Council of the EU. The 2015-2018 Work Plan for Culture was the EU’s second policy cooperation document of this kind, building on the results of the 2011-2014 work plan. It is continued by a new work plan for the 2019-2022 period.
Relevant priorities between 2015-2018 included:
- “Accessible and inclusive culture” (priority area A), which aimed at fostering the contribution of culture to social inclusion. The focus question of this priority was: how can public policies encourage and support cultural institutions in working within partnerships with other sectors (healthcare, social care, prison service etc.)? To implement this priority, the Council set up an OMC expert group (Open Method of Coordination group consisting of Member States experts) to map existing public policies dealing with social inclusion through culture and identify good practices. In 2019 the group produced the report, ”From Social Inclusion to Social Cohesion – The Role of Cultural Policy”, highlighting that ”culture and the arts are recognised as a potent force in preventative healthcare, therapeutic alternatives and general well-being. (…) In the field of arts and culture for health and well-being there is a broad range of practices, e.g. the arts in a healthcare environment, participatory arts programmes, arts on prescription, art therapy and arts in medical education (...).” The report has an entire chapter on the link between culture and well-being-health (ch. 8.2 ”Partner-centred approach: culture for health and well-being”), including recommendations to policy-makers (such as to adopt a transversal approach to culture, health, well-being and social cohesion/foster trans-sectoral coordination at a national level with different government departments).
- “Cultural heritage” (priority area B). An OMC group worked on the report ”Participatory governance of cultural heritage” in 2018, which provided evidence that using a participatory approach leads to increased appreciation of cultural heritage and an increased quality of life/well-being of people.
- ”Cultural and creative sectors: Creative economy and innovation” (priority area C). An OMC expert group produced the report ”Sustainable Cultural Tourism” in 2019, which acknowledged that ”New sustainable cultural tourism offers relating to both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage should place an emphasis on national strategic planning and networking, as well as concepts such as ‘slow’ tourism, ‘authenticity’, ‘storytelling’, ‘well-being’ and ‘contact with locals’ and that ”Tourism experiences that promote self-reflection, a slower pace and contemplation combined with physical activity can encourage well-being.”