The Arts en Salut programme of Hospital Clínic Barcelona was one of the five finalists for the IMPULSA CULTURA Award 2026, granted by the Fundació Catalunya Cultura. The finalist projects were presented yesterday at La Nit de l’Empresa i la Cultura, held at the Phenomena Experience cinema in Barcelona, before representatives from the business, cultural and institutional sectors. Maria Mateu, project manager at the Corporate Social Responsibility Area, presented the programme.
The award went to Open Brains, a project that brings neuroscience closer to the public through immersive and participatory experiences. The Audience Award went to the Culture Area of the Fundació Girona Est. The other finalists were IP2U and the Orquestra de Músiques d’Arrel de Catalunya (OMAC).
Reaching the final recognises the track record of a programme that has been working for years to make culture part of how people are cared for.
What is the Arts en Salut programme
Arts en Salut is led by Clínic’s Corporate Social Responsibility Area. Its aim is to integrate the arts as a health asset within the hospital. It uses different artistic disciplines to improve the patient experience and provide emotional support. It also seeks to make spaces more welcoming and to care for the wellbeing of the hospital’s professional teams.
The programme is based on co-creation with museums, foundations, artists and other cultural stakeholders. During 2025 it was consolidated with a strategic vision, and partnerships have been key to developing its projects.
The arts and health: what the evidence says
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, influenced by factors such as the social or cultural environment. In 2019, the WHO published the first major review of the role of the arts in health, based on more than 900 scientific publications. The review concludes that the arts can help promote health and prevent illness. They can also support the treatment of physical and mental health conditions and provide support at times of great complexity or at the end of life. Following this work, the WHO recommends that governments integrate the arts into health systems through long-term strategies.
Three areas of action
Culture transforms spaces. The walls of the Clínic host exhibitions on health and social projects. The hospital also has a collection created from donations by artists such as Jaume Plensa, Alberto de Udaeta and Xavier Raventós. In collaboration with the Fundació Vila Casas, the dome of the Maternitat site houses an installation of violins by the artist Mercè Ribera. Works by local artists are also being added to the Cancer Institute.
Culture accompanies the care process. The Clínic has agreements with museums and cultural institutions to offer patients artistic experiences adapted to their health journey:
- El cor del museu, with the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), aimed at Cardiology Department patients who have survived sudden cardiac arrest.
- Therapeutic visits to MACBA for patients of the day hospital for neurodegenerative diseases.
- Art workshops at the Museu Tàpies for young people recovering from cancer.
- Music in the hospital: concerts adapted to the ICUs, hospital wards and day hospitals, as well as the piano loaned by the Associació Cultural Pianos Vius in the lobby of the Villarroel site. Through the Sinèrgic project, also run by the Fundació Catalunya Cultura, music therapy sessions and concerts have been held for oncology and geriatric patients.
- BookLife bibliotherapy, which offers personalised reading recommendations to patients of the Day Hospital and the Haematology and Transplant Unit.
Culture cares for professionals. The Campus Clínic Book Club, the theatre group and the Clínic Choir create spaces for connection and creativity. These activities foster emotional wellbeing and team cohesion.
The programme also organises initiatives open to everyone, such as “A l’abril, cultures mil”, a month of cultural activities culminating in Sant Jordi (Saint George’s Day). It also takes part in the international Healing Arts movement, which promotes art as a tool for community health.
A long-standing commitment to culture
This is not the first time the Clínic has reached the final of this award. In 2025, the charity project Girem Full! was also a finalist. This project turns books read and reviewed into hours of cancer research. The Clínic’s return to the final reflects its commitment to more humane care and to culture as a source of wellbeing for patients, families and professionals.
