Open Brains brings neuroscience closer to the public and wins 30,000 euros

The project combines in-person activities with virtual games and apps.

The Premi Impulsa Cultura grant has increased this year from 15,000 to 30,000 euros. The winning project, Open Brains, uses immersive and participatory experiences to bring neuroscience closer to the public.

The award was presented during the Nit de l’Empresa i la Cultura, held at the Phenomena cinema and organised by the Fundació Catalunya Cultura. The organisation works to strengthen ties between the business and cultural sectors.

Neuroscience in classrooms and virtual formats

Daniel Duque y David Bestué, the driving forces behind Open Brains, explained that the project uses neuroscience to encourage critical thinking. Its in-person and local strand reaches 6,000 students each year through shows and workshops. It also supports companies in making more rigorous decisions.

The other strand is global and virtual: it develops games and apps. Two formats to take the proposal beyond in-person educational activities.

A public award for Girona Est

Open Brains was chosen from four finalists. The new public award, worth 5,000 euros, went to the Área de Cultura of the Fundació Girona Est. Attendees voted from their phones after scanning a QR code.

The Girona Est project empowers children and young people through culture and strengthens social cohesion in the eastern neighbourhoods of Girona.

Other finalists included Arts en Salut, a programme from Hospital Clínic that integrates the arts into the hospital environment to improve the emotional wellbeing of patients, families, and professionals. Also shortlisted were IP2U, which facilitates the legal, safe, and transparent circulation of cultural works in the digital environment, and OMAC – Orquestra de Músiques d’Arrel de Catalunya, which draws on the traditional music of Catalan-speaking regions to create new contemporary artistic languages.

Training and support for cultural projects

Fundació Catalunya Cultura was founded in 2014 to bring the business world closer to culture. In response to reduced public funding, it decided to offer tools and support to cultural projects to boost their growth and professionalisation. It also aims to contribute to their economic sustainability.

Maite Esteve, director of the foundation, explained that the training covers topics such as audience engagement and budget preparation. She compared it to the preparation a business start-up would receive, applied to the cultural sector.

The ImpulsaCultura programme supports projects already underway for a year, with training and advice; it also offers personalised mentoring. Ten participants reach the final stage and compete for the award. The foundation advocates for patronage and promotes legislative changes to facilitate private contributions, aiming to increase investment in culture. This approach coexists with other forms of support, such as municipal culture vouchers.

The gala also saw the presentation of the Premi Empresa Cultura 2026. Cuatrecasas was recognised in the large company category and Grup Vesta, dedicated to construction, renovation, and restoration, in the small and medium-sized company category.