Cross-sectoral Hackathon: Culture and Wellbeing
Cross-sectoral Hackathon: Culture and Wellbeing
The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC) warmly invites artists, cultural professionals, health experts, entrepreneurs, students, and changemakers to take part in our upcoming innovation sprint on culture and wellbeing!
Organized as part of the EU co-funded project "AWAKE: Arts & Wellbeing as a Creative Business and Future Livelihood," the hackathon brings together participants from across Europe to explore how arts and wellbeing can intersect to shape new models of creative business.
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Participation is free - but spots are limited. Register here below!
Deadline for registration: Extended to 20.05.2025.
Very last chance to join: Create your profile by 26.05.2025, 16:30 CET
(Note: you will need to create a free account on Hacktribe, the hackathon’s main platform)
❓What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is a creative, fast-paced event where people from different backgrounds come together to solve challenges or explore new ideas, usually around a common topic. The 48-hour online innovation sprint gives participants from all kinds of backgrounds a structured and collaborative space to explore ideas, get support from expert mentors, and connect with individuals across different fields.
This initiative aims to respond to a growing need for interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare, creativity, and sustainable livelihood. The hackathon allows individuals who feel constrained by traditional sector boundaries to experiment with bold concepts and develop tangible project proposals!
🫶 Why join?
- Learn to structure and test new business ideas
- Collaborate in an international and interdisciplinary environment
- Gain access to mentorship from European experts
- Connect with like-minded peers across arts, health, and entrepreneurship
- Present final ideas to a jury and compete for prizes!
Whether you are a creative professional seeking new tools, a health worker open to change, or a student exploring cross-sector potential, this event offers a unique space to experiment, test, learn, and connect across borders!
Watch the info session to learn more about the hackathon:
⚙️ I want to join! How does it work?
📝 Step 1: Register
Start by registering to participate! Once you're in, you'll gain access to the Hackathon virtual platform, where you can:
- 💡 Post your idea
- 🤝 Find teammates
- 🔍 Join an existing team
👉 Please read the Code of Conduct and Hackathon Guidelines before registering!
🎯 The theme of the hackathon is Culture and Wellbeing — we’re looking for innovative solutions that make a difference in this topic!
⚠️ Deadline for team formation: May 26 at 16:30 CET/17:30 EET
👥 Team structure:
- 2–6 participants
- Complementary roles
- 1️⃣ Team Lead (chosen by your team)
🚀 Step 2: Hack
The hackathon officially kicks off on the evening of May 26th with an opening ceremony! 🎉 We’ll present the prizes 🏆, evaluation criteria 📊, and guide you through the journey ahead.
🛠️ Then the real work begins: turn your ideas into working solutions and prototypes!
During the event:
- ✅ Three mentor checkpoints will help keep your team on track
- 🧑🏫 Each team gets a dedicated mentor
- 🧠 Expert mentors available for consultations on May 27th
‼️ Attending all checkpoints is mandatory (unless your mentor says otherwise).
🎤 Step 3: Submit & Pitch
📅 On May 28, teams will submit their final solutions and prepare to pitch their projects to the jury!
🚀 After the hackathon, no strings are attached – you’re free to continue developing your project however you like.
💼 The intellectual property belongs 100% to your team!
⚠️ Participant commitment
The program is 100% free for the participants. Even though the participating teams will have the possibility to organise their working session independently, attendance is expected for the full duration of the event.
💰 Final prize
The prize for the team creating the best solution will be 800 EUR (lump sum, exc. VAT)
About the AWAKE Project
The hackathon is part of the AWAKE project – Arts & Wellbeing as a Creative Business and Future Livelihood.
The project explores artistic and cultural practices in the arts & wellbeing sector from an entrepreneurial perspective. Running from 2023 to 2025, the project offers training, case studies, and networking opportunities to support sustainable business models at the intersection of arts and health, fostering new livelihoods, skills, and collaborations in this emerging field.
AWAKE encompasses an international consortium of partners across Latvia, Finland, France, and Romania. Led by the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture, the project is implemented together with Lapinlahden Lähde Oy (Centre for Culture, Arts and Mental Well-being) in Finland, Centrul Cultural Clujean (Cluj Cultural Centre) in Romania, and Pôle Culture & Santé en Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Culture & Health Center) in France.
Schedule
13 May 2025
Location: Recording of the info session: https://youtu.be/p7P9fgqiF9U
During this info session, we will shortly go over what to expect from the hackathon, how to best prepare and where you should do what in order to be fully ready to start building your business idea!
Moreover, if you have any questions - we will be more than happy to answer them.
A recording of the session will be provided afterwards.
Final deadline to register for the hackathon: May 20th, 12:00 CET
Location: Info session recording: https://youtu.be/p7P9fgqiF9U
During this info session, we will shortly go over what to expect from the hackathon, how to best prepare and where you should do what in order to be fully ready to start building your business idea!
Moreover, if you have any questions - we will be more than happy to answer them.
A recording of the session will be provided afterwards.
Final deadline to register for the hackathon: May 20th, 12:00 CET
15 May 2025
Location: Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/d46rbQASHcA
How to get the "right" idea? Time to shape it up!
With the hackathon just around the corner, now’s the perfect moment to start thinking about:
- 💡 The idea you want to develop
- 🧰 The tools you'll need
- ⏱️ What’s realistically achievable between May 26–28
To help you get started, we’re inviting you to a Workshop on ideation & prototyping! 🚀
During the session, our expert mentors will share:
- 🔍 How to find and refine the right idea
- 🛠️ Tips for building a prototype in just a few days
- 💬 Best practices for collaboration and creativity under time pressure
A recording of the workshop will be provided afterwards.
Workshop will be lead by:
Kārlis Jonāss, Innovation Strategy Consultant
20 May 2025
Location: Join the workshop via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81744520426?pwd=FWlAXsC9cnq941Jgbn0EPYamdNuCwp.1
VERY IMPORANT TO JOIN!
Team formation is key to any successful project — it's where individuals with diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives unite to achieve shared goals. This workshop is your chance to:
- 👥 Find your dream team
- 🧩 Connect with international teammates who complete your skillset
- 🎯 Align around exciting ideas
Furthermore:
🎤 Have an idea but no team? Pitch it during the session and attract like-minded collaborators.
👂 No idea yet, but want to participate? Join to hear what others are planning and jump on board!
26 May 2025
Location: Online
NOTE: THIS IS THE VERY LAST CHANCE TO JOIN THE HACKTHON
Location: Online - Link will be provided to all members of existing teams
Location: Online
27 May 2025
Get to know the mentors, and book a session with them on May 27 between 16:00-22:00!
🎤 Pitch Perfect: Learn to Impress in 3 Minutes
Join our workshop to master the art of the 3-minute pitch. You'll learn:
- 📋 What to include in your presentation
- 🗣️ Key points to emphasize
- 🎯 How to structure your pitch for impact
- 🎬 How to build a compelling demo
- 🛠️ Best tools to showcase your prototype
Quick, focused, and practical — don’t miss it!
Location: Online
28 May 2025
Location: Online
Location: Online
Location: Online
Location: Online