Celebrating New MEDIA Success
How our core values align with EU strategies – interview with Creative Europe Desk Flanders
We are celebrating the renewed recognition of the Creative Europe – MEDIA sub-programme, which has approved a new funding cycle for Film in Hospital.
In the upcoming 2026–2028 period, supported by this new two-year MEDIA grant, Film in Hospital will consolidate and scale its technological infrastructure by developing a dedicated app and additional digital tools to make cooperation with new partners easier. The project will expand to three more EU countries (the Netherlands, Hungary, and Cyprus) and one non‑EU country (Montenegro) through an associated-partner model, enabling active engagement with European films in 12 countries and preparing the ground for further growth.
The overarching ambition is to position Film in Hospital as an essential cultural and educational service for paediatric hospitals across Europe, creating a solid basis for progressive expansion to 27 European countries over the next decade.
Film in Hospital’s core values – inclusion, dignity, creativity, cultural access and safeguarding – closely mirror Creative Europe’s goals of ensuring broad, equitable access to culture, supporting diverse and innovative audiovisual works, and protecting the rights and well‑being of audiences, especially children and other vulnerable groups. This shared value base is also reflected in how Creative Europe MEDIA and national Creative Europe Desks talk about the project, recognising it as a strong example of audience development and film education for young patients.
In the following interview with Jeroen Verhaeghe from Creative Europe Desk Flanders, you can read more about how they see Film in Hospital’s contribution to these European priorities, why they consider the project a good practice, and how its values translate into everyday work in hospitals.
- How does the MEDIA programme view the importance of cultural projects in hospital settings?
European audiovisual works are for everyone. They inspire, broaden horizons and relax the mind. Cultural projects like these bring the outside world and its diversity inside of the serious hospital setting. Reaching an underserved audience that enjoys culture to the fullest is one of the main goals of the MEDIA program.
- What key values does Film in Hospital bring to the European cultural context?
Film in Hospital is all about inclusion and emphasises the impact of culture on wellbeing through its intrinsic and cohesive values. Underserved audience gain access to cultural content but also visibility through the output of the project.
- How does the program help increase access to cultural content for vulnerable groups? Program also in MEDIA program?
A big part of the MEDIA program has a dedicated focus on visibility and accessibility of European audiovisual works. Through Audience development and Film Education calls, the program supports initiatives that bring less obvious audiences together. Via support to EuropaCinemas, Creative Europe MEDIA also supports special screenings and thematic programming in countless European Cinemas. Also VOD platforms are supported so less mobile or homebound people have their pick.
- How do you see the future of EU collaboration in film education and social inclusion
Film education and social inclusion via culture is more important than ever. The daily overload on impressions and low quality or even false content can be countered. Working on quality content is one side of the coin but educating audiences on how to find and perceive that content is at least as important. Investing in inclusive content and accessibility to diverse audiences can only enhance this process.
