Art and Society: Interdisciplinary Dialogues in the Service of Equal Opportunity, Health and Community

For the 9th time, the founders and associated higher education institutions are announcing the Art Education Conference, which will be organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences of Eötvös Loránd University May 28-29, 2026.

The conference is dedicated to the memory of its founder, Professor Andrea Kárpáti.

The conference will examine the multifaceted role of arts education in the context of social challenges. The event will build bridges between sociology, social work, social pedagogy, cultural anthropology, and arts education to explore how the arts can contribute to individual and community well-being.

Our aim is to present innovations and research results in the field of art education and education through art in a scientific way, to strengthen national and international networks between art education professionals and to promote cooperation in new research and development programmes. The working languages of the conference will be English and Hungarian.

Main topics of the conference in 2026:

• Pedagogy, progressive education, and the life reform movement: alternative approaches to arts education in supporting individual development and social equality
• Museum education and other arts mediation institutions in creating opportunities
• Trauma processing through the power of art; together for well-being
• The use of art in maintaining mental well-being and in therapy
• Art, art education and the non-profit sector
• Tradition and innovation in literature education and literature therapy
• Drama education in shaping attitudes and raising awareness
• Fine arts and visual creation in self-expression and identity strengthening
• Culture of spaces and buildings, playgrounds
• Dance and music in individual and collective rhythm, melody, folk dances, community dance forms and modern dance projects, musical performances
• The application of art in ensuring mental well-being, healing, social care, and promoting the social inclusion of individuals with high support needs
• The emergence of areas of children's culture in the prevention of mental health issues in children
• Research methodology challenges related to art education

Detailed conference topics available: here!

Plenary lectures in Hungarian and English, symposia in Hungarian and English, workshops, and intermodal blocks form the backbone of the two-day conference.

Important dates in 2026:

December 15, 2025: Registration opens and start of paper submission

February 1, 2026: End of paper submission

March 15, 2026: Notification of acceptance

April 15, 2026: End of conference registration

April 15, 2026: Payment of participation fee

Proceedings of the previous conferences: Archive

Contact: muveszetpedagogia2026@tatk.elte.hu