International Conference Culture & Mental Health: Refugees

The Dr. Guislain Museum, Iedereen Leest, Solentra and Red Star Line Museum organized the second edition of the International Conference on Culture and Mental Health on Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. The central theme this year was how art and culture can contribute to the mental well-being of refugees.
More than 160 attendees from the culture, healthcare and academic sectors from 24 different countries participated in creative workshops, inspiring keynotes and interactive sessions around the question of how art and culture can contribute to improved mental well-being for people with refugee backgrounds.
At Solentra, we believe that mental well-being is supported by different layers of the community. Culture, as an essential part of that community, can therefore play an important role in coping with loss and restoring trust in the world and fellow human beings. Art and culture can provide comfort and hope, and lower the threshold to mental health care for refugees.