BKJ Fachveranstaltung location_onBerlin calendar_month 3.12.–5.12.25

Creativity as Mind Care: How Cultural Education Contributes to Resilience and Psychological Wellbeing

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Ihre Ansprechpartnerin/Contact

Charlotte Prokop

Referentin für Kinderrechte

Telefon: 030 484860-62
E-Mail: prokop@bkj.de

Die Fachtagung ermöglicht den multinationalen Austausch über die Stärkung von Resilienz, Empowerment und Selbstwirksamkeit durch Kulturelle Bildung.

Eingeladen sind Kulturschaffende, Pädagog*innen, Jugendexpert*innen, Forscher*innen und politische Entscheidungsträger*innen, um eine inklusive und unterstützende Zukunft für Kinder und Jugendliche in ganz Europa mitzugestalten.

About

In an age marked by global crises, social fragmentation, and rising mental health concerns among young people, cultural education can play a crucial role in supporting psychological wellbeing and strengthening resilience.

The international symposium “Creativity as MindCare” brings together educators, researchers, and professionals from the fields of arts, education, health, and youth work to explore how artistic and creative processes contribute to the healthy socio-emotional development of children and young people — and how this potential can be more systematically harnessed and supported across Europe.

The symposium will showcase concrete examples and practices from various European contexts and offer opportunities for international as well as interdisciplinary exchange. In panel discussions, keynote talks, interactive sessions, and through artistic performances, participants will jointly explore the intersections of cultural education, mental health, and children‘s rights.

Central questions include

What kind of spaces and frameworks do young people need to feel safe, seen, and supported?
How can cultural educators be empowered to take on a stronger role in promoting mental wellbeing?
What tools and methods are already successfully in use — and what remains to be developed?

We invite cultural workers, educators, youth professionals, researchers, and policymakers to join us in Berlin and help shape a more inclusive and supportive future for children and young people across Europe.

Agenda

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Klosterstraße 50
10179 Berlin

From 14.30 h	Security Check and registration Please remember to bring your ID. Wearing name tags in the Embassy is mandatory. You cannot bring or store luggage.
15.30 h	Welcome by Mira Woldberg, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Germany
15.40 h	Opening Words by Mareike Wulf, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
15.50 h	Arts education, cultural education and mental health: Introducing the MindCare Project Max van Alphen, Jan van den Eijnden (LKCA), Charlotte Prokop (BKJ)
16.05 h	Film and Conversation Jordy Dik, DIK Danstheater
16.40 h	Break
17.00 h	Keynote and Q&A Prof. Dr. Janine Stubbe, University of Rotterdam
17.30 h	Music and Conversation with the Paperlantern Collective Paperlantern Collective
18.00 h	Fingerfood and Networking
19.30 h	End of Day 1

Mit freundlicher Unterstützung der Botschaft des Königreichs der Niederlande in Berlin/With the kind support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Berlin:

Thursday, December 4th, 2025

Palais Podewil
Klosterstraße 68d
10179 Berlin

from 09.00 h	Arrival and registration Please arrive in time to sign the attendance sheets and get comfortable!
09.30 h	Welcome and introduction
09.45 h	Keynote: The Joy of Mistakes – Cultural Education, Play and Resilience Michael Dietrich, Cultural Educator, Management Director PA/SPIELkultur e. V., Munich
10.15 h	Curator’s Note on the Exhibition featuring photographs from the German Youth Photo Award Katharina Klapdor Ben Salem, Head of Deutscher Jugendfotopreis, Deutsches Kinder- und Jugendfilmzentrum (KJF)
10.45 h	Break
11.30 h	Workshops Round 1 Participants are free to chose one of the following workshops. More detail on each will be provided to those who have signed up and whose participation is confirmed. *#1 Fostering Children’s Participation in Creating Safer Spaces Nesteren Genc, Germany #2 Writing for Resilience – Creativity as a Force for Mental Health** Fariesh Abdoelrahman and Jamie Hoogeveen, Quardin, Netherlands #3 Feeling Safe, Moving Freely: Theatre and Dance as Tools for Child Protection and Setting Boundaries Mara Luise Atkins & Gabi van den Droste, FELD Theater, Germany #4 Democratizing Sound: Collaborative Music Practices in Community Contexts Marleen Kiesel and Matthew Robinson, Paperlantern Collective, Germany/UK
13.00 h	Lunchbreak
14.00 h	Workshops Round 2 Participants are free to chose one of the following workshops. More detail on each will be provided to those who have signed up and whose participation is confirmed. #1 SPARKing change in Slovenia and Serbia: Rethinking children’s mental health through a gender lens Ana Pavlič and Kaja Primorac, Inštitut za proučevanje enakosti spolov (IPES), Slovenia #2 Social Media and Mental Health Moniek Zuidema, LKCA #3 Planting the Seed: Fostering Peer Support in Youth Cohorts Theresa Hobe, Mental Health Initiative/Peace in Mind Project, Germany/Poland #4 The Happy Dance – the Dance of Freedom Jordy Dik, Vincent Dankelman, DIK Danstheater, Netherlands
15.30 h	Break
16.00 h	Artistic Performance Cabuwazi – Kinder- und Jugendzirkus, Berlin
16.30 h	Keynote: Advancing Youth Mental Health and Well-Being: A mapping of policy frameworks, tools and services across Europe Ela S. Evliyaoğlu, Pool of European Youth Researchers (PEYR)
16.45 h	Gallery Walk!
18.30 h	Dinner

Friday, December 5th, 2025

Palais Podewil
Klosterstraße 68d
10179 Berlin

from 09.00 h	Arrival
09.30 h	Impulse: Art as Mind Care and Healing: Living Museums in Practice – Examples from Switzerland, Georgia and Bulgaria Dr. Rose Ehemann, Iva Ivanova and Natia Panjikidze, Living Museum Society
10.15 h	Creative Activation Lina Richter, BKJ, Berlin
10.45 h	Break
11.30 h	Dance- and Theater Performance: Overcoming loneliness AWA Theater
11.45 h	Panel Discussion: Loneliness and the role of arts and culture in building community Stine Keiding, Leading the Interbaltic Reg Arts on Prescription Program Kathrin Hartmann, Head of programs and projects, vice director of the German Library Association Kesha Felipa, Visual Artist and Advisor for Cultural Education at Kunstloc Brabant Eva Serpil Evliyaoğlu, clinical psychologist, youth policy expert and member of the Pool of European Youth Researchers (PEYR) of the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership Laure Pailleau, Child Participation and Policy Officer, Eurochild Moderated by Dr. Christine Steiner, German Youth Institute
12.45 h	Q&A with the Panelists
13.15 h	Closing Remarks
13.30 h	Fingerfood/light Lunch
14.30 h	End of the conference

Registration

Weitere Informationen/Further information

Datum	3. – 5. Dezember 2025
Veranstalter	Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung (BKJ) in Kooperation mit Kenniscentrum voor cultuureducatie en amateurkunst (LKCA)/Niederlande
Ort	Mittwoch/Wednesday: Botschaft des Königreichs der Niederlande, Klosterstraße 50; Donnerstag/Thursday & Freitag/Friday: Palais Podewil, Klosterstraße 68d, Berlin
Anmeldefrist	15. Oktober 2025
Weitere Informationen	The event will be held in English. Travelling expenses can be reimbursed on a pro rata basis. A limited number of hotel rooms will be made available. Interested parties can register via the ‘Registration’ button. The registrations will then be reviewed. Participants will be selected taking into account the representation of different countries and projects. Confirmations of registration will then be sent out. — Die Veranstaltung findet in englischer Sprache statt. Die Reisekosten können anteilig erstattet werden. Es wird ein limitiertes Kontingent für Hotelzimmer zur Verfügung gestellt. Interessierte können sich über den Button „Anmeldung” registrieren. Die Anmeldungen werden anschließend gesichtet. Die Auswahl der Teilnehmer*innen erfolgt unter Berücksichtigung der Repräsentanz verschiedener Länder und Projekte. Anschließend werden Anmeldebestätigungen versendet.