Last week we attended the international conference Culture & Care, which took place in Leuven, Belgium, and was organised by the network Culture Action Europe.

The conference brought together artists, cultural workers, researchers and organisations from across Europe. Together we explored how culture and care can meet in practice, in cultural policy, and in the everyday work of cultural organisations.

The programme did not aim to provide quick definitions or simple answers. Instead, it created space for curiosity, sharing experiences and open conversations.

Many discussions returned to a simple but powerful idea: that culture can become a form of care when it creates space for attention, listening and presence.

This is something close to the way we work as well. In the projects of PRAHO! project and STOCKHOLM! project, care often appears in very simple forms — in questions placed in the city, in collected responses, or in moments when people pause, read a sentence on a wall, and begin to reflect.

Our long-term work in public space has shown us that culture can sometimes become a form of care in very quiet ways. Sometimes it is enough to create space for reflection, dialogue, or a short pause in the middle of an ordinary day.

The conference also reminded us how important international collaboration is for our work. Many of our projects are developed through European partnerships and international grant frameworks. Meeting organisations from different parts of Europe and exchanging experiences is therefore an important part of how our work continues to grow.

We would like to thank Culture Action Europe and the organisers of Culture & Care Leuven for creating such an open and inspiring environment.

We returned with new contacts, new questions, and a great deal of inspiration for the work ahead.