A Movement Kindled by Art

Hill by hill, we’ve been lighting torches—calling out into the night, gathering the essential elements of this powerful movement.

Today, we carry the torch that honors Art and Culture—two vital sparks that fuel the fire at the heart of the Hearth Summit.

These aren’t background notes or ornamental touches. They are central, foundational forces, woven into every layer of the Summit. Their integration reveals how cultural and artistic expression can serve as powerful vehicles for transformation—helping us reimagine society and inspire bold new pathways toward wellbeing.

Art and culture have never existed apart from society. They are deeply entwined with our collective memory, our healing, and our shared ability to envision a more whole and vibrant future. The Hearth Summit embraces this dynamic relationship, honoring the arts as a living expression of the shared human experience.

At the first edition of our global summit—the Wellbeing Summit for Social Change, held in Bilbao–Biscay, Spain, in 2022—the arts didn’t just play a role: they swept through the city, welcoming dozens of artists, commissioned art pieces, performances, and much more.

This deep understanding also helped set in motion a ripple effect: the birth of the regional Hearth Summits—a movement that, three years later, is still making waves. And now, like sparks rising from a communal flame, they will reunite in Ljubljana.

With a format inspired by the 2022 edition—yet enriched by the gifts of the regional voices who welcomed us into their homes and shared their unique ways—the Hearth Summit’s arts program in Ljubljana promises to ignite new and profound experiences once again.

Feel the Pulse of Art at the HEARTH

Every moment is crafted to animate, energize, and provoke—guiding participants through arts-infused sessions, dynamic workshops, and thought-provoking conversations that spark bold imagination, unbounded innovation, and collaborative creation.

Celebrating a rich mix of voices, the Hearth Summit will amplify an extraordinary range of artistic expressions—placing Slovenian talent at the fiery core of a vibrant global network. Local artists will be key voices, their participation enriching a dynamic tapestry of perspectives from around the world.

Our arts program will honor Ljubljana’s lively artistic heritage while nurturing innovative works that challenge assumptions, foster community, and speak powerfully to our collective wellbeing, ecological belonging, and interconnectedness. This program has been shaped under the artistic direction of Manuel Bagorro, creative advisor at Carnegie Hall, and the creative commissioning of Carrie Barratt, former Deputy Director at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Two newly commissioned works by acclaimed international artists will be unveiled in public spaces across Ljubljana. Created specifically for this gathering, these works are more than art—they are living invitations to reflect, engage, and connect on a deeper level.

The commissioning process began with a profound sense of intentionality. It sparked a global search for artists whose practices speak to the interconnectedness of individual, societal, and planetary wellbeing.

At the heart of this search lies the theme of ecological belonging—a lens through which we explore our place within the natural world, fostering a sense of kinship, responsibility, and unity that transcends borders.

What began as a curatorial journey soon evolved into a collaborative unfolding—commissioning not just new works, but co-creating experiences that breathe life into the spaces between us.

At the Hearth, Art in a Living Invitation

In our search for artists who could give form to the theme of ecological belonging, we found ourselves drawn to the extraordinary work of Chiara Camoni and Cheng Tsung Feng—two artists whose practices bridge the sensual and the symbolic, nature and imagination, presence and possibility.

In the words of Carrie Barratt, curator behind these collaborations:

From Project to Movement

As with any living organism, a movement begins as a breath—subtle, often unseen—and grows through connection, nourishment, and time.

The Wellbeing Project began in just that way. What started as a response to the quiet ache and burnout felt by social change leaders has evolved into a global Wellbeing Movement—an ecosystem of care. Like the branching of mycelium underground, what began small has become a thriving network of changemakers practicing wellbeing in their lives, work, and communities—each interconnected, each alive.

45 seasons, 135 new moons, and 3,108 sunrises have passed since we first shared our deep conviction with the world –that Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing – and whether you joined us at sunrise 1, 4,000, or 4,108, you are part of this living story—a story still being written.

From the start, The Wellbeing Project has been about catalyzing a culture of inner wellbeing for all changemakers. It has always been a collective endeavor. Born in 2014 from the understanding that meaningful change requires shared wisdom and effort, this work has been co-created—drawing on the experience and creativity of diverse communities and institutions around the world.

Rooted in practices of co-creation, emergence, and deep listening, and trusting the rhythm of living systems, this journey has been both grounded and expansive. Over the years, the Project has: