Having a background in heritage interpretation and museum work since 2008, Inga collaborated with the Eduards Veidenbaums Museum "Kalāči" from 2021 to 2023 to develop Latvia’s first permanent exhibition and educational program focused on mental health. In 2023, she co-authored the guide Talking Points: Arts and Health in Communities, a joint publication of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture and the Northern Dimension Partnership on Health and Social Wellbeing. Currently, Inga leads the Museums on Prescription programme in Cēsis Municipality, part of the Interreg project Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region.
Inga has also contributed to the European Commission preparatory action CultureForHealth, which played a key role in the inclusion of "culture and health" priority in the current EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026. In this context, she represents the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia in the European Commission’s Open Method of Coordination (OMC) group on Culture and Health.
At NEMO’s European Museum Conference 2025, Inga Surgunte will facilitate the workshop “Culture FOR health? Culture AND health!” on Monday, 27 October and join the panel “Caring collaborations across sectors: from inspiration to infrastructure” on Tuesday, 28 October.
Workshop abstract:
Culture FOR health? Culture AND health!
Collaboration between the cultural and health sectors is accelerating across Europe, with numerous cross-disciplinary projects and policy developments taking shape. Yet, concerns persist within the cultural sector about the instrumentalisation of culture solely for health benefits. To promote a more balanced and equitable approach, this workshop will create space for joint discussion and the development of indicators that reflect the values and contributions of both sectors equally.
Presentation abstract:
Culture and health: Supports and pitfalls for museums
In recent decades, museums have shown growing commitment and expertise in collaborating with the health sector, realising their potential to enhance health and wellbeing through numerous innovative initiatives. Drawing on her experience as head of the Museums on Prescription programme (in Cēsis municipality, Latvia) and as Latvia’s representative in the European Commission OMC group on Culture and Health, Inga Surgunte will examine where these initiatives fit within a broader taxonomy of Culture and Health interventions, what ecosystems and policies can support their sustainability, and the risks this still underexplored cross-sector collaboration may present for museums.
