Whether it's a Mad Pride disco, a writing workshop or a singing group: around 30 events from the fields of culture and health are on the program of the 15th Mental Health Week in Bremen and Bremerhaven, which runs until October 11th.
From Monday, October 5th to Sunday, October 11th, 2026, those interested can experience art and creative activity as a resource for mental well-being through workshops, lectures, readings, and exhibitions. Senator for Health Claudia Bernhard will once again be the patron of the week of action. This year's motto is "Art and Health.".
Claudia Bernhard, Senator for Health, Women and Consumer Protection, says: “Art touches us, can comfort and strengthen us. In particular, creating our own art, such as painting, singing or writing, can promote self-efficacy, foster community and offer a break from everyday life. It is precisely this power of art and culture that we want to make tangible with Mental Health Week.”
Action week opens with kick-off event and Blaumeier choir “Chor Don Bleu”
For the first time, the action week will be launched with an opening event – on Monday, October 5th, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Bremen Adult Education Center. In addition to a welcoming address by the Senator, the program, under the motto "Creatively Healthy Together!", will feature a diverse presentation, a panel discussion with stakeholders from the cultural and health sectors, and a performance by the Blaumeier Choir "Chor Don Bleu".
The action week is organized by the German Society for Social Psychiatry (DGSP) Bremen in cooperation with the Competence Center "Art on Prescription – Network Culture and Health". The Competence Center is funded by the Senator for Health, Women and Consumer Protection, the Senator for Culture, and the Bremen Adult Education Center. It further develops projects at the intersection of art, culture, and health, building on the expertise acquired within the framework of the EU-funded pilot project "Art on Prescription".
Culture and health – a match?!
Following this, the second network meeting "Art – Culture – Health" will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. A key focus will again be on how to further improve collaboration between diverse institutions from the cultural and healthcare sectors. The Competence Center for Art on Prescription is organizing the meeting together with the Bremen Coordination Office for Health Equity at the State Association for Health and the Academy for Social Medicine Lower Saxony Bremen.
Further information about the program can be found at: www.dgsp-ev.de
Source: Press Office of the Bremen Senate, 15th Bremen Mental Health Week starts, October 5, 2026
