Film in Hospital Presented at the EU Work Plan for Culture Meeting in Zagreb

🎬 On June 12–13, 2025, during the 7th Meeting of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) Working Group of Member States’ Experts, held at the School of Public Health “Andrija Ĺ tampar” in Zagreb hosted by Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, we proudly presented our project Film in Hospital — a pan-European initiative that connects film culture with pediatric care.

📍 The event focused on Priority B: Culture for the People, specifically the topic Culture and Health, under the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023–2026.

Film in Hospital — Connecting Children to Culture and Care

At the 7th OMC Working Group Meeting on Culture and Health in Zagreb, we presented Film in Hospital, a cross-border initiative bringing curated film experiences to children and young people in hospitals and recovery settings across 8 EU countries.

Our presentation emphasized how cinema can play a therapeutic, educational, and emotionally enriching role during hospitalization, supporting mental health, imagination, and social connection.

These goals strongly align with the CultureForHealth Report (2022) findings, which confirm that:

  • Cultural participation improves well-being, especially among vulnerable groups.
  • Film and digital storytelling are effective tools in mental health support.
  • Cross-sectoral partnerships between health, education, and culture sectors are key to systemic change.

By integrating film literacy and emotional engagement into pediatric care, Film in Hospital embodies the CultureForHealth vision: culture as a social determinant of health and an enabler of more humane, inclusive healthcare environments.

Special Thank-you to Kornelia Kiss

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Kornelia Kiss for her inspiring introduction to our publication, Toolbox of Good Practice: Film in Hospital.

It was a pleasure to meet her during our presentation at the OMC Working Group on Culture and Health in Zagreb. Her thoughtful words and deep understanding of the cultural policy landscape have given our work valuable context and visibility at the European level.

👉 Read the Toolbox and see how film is making a difference for children and young people in hospitals across Europe.

Kornelia Kiss, Head of Research and Development at Culture Action Europe and  Co-author of the CultureForHealth report

Photo: Pia Sopta