Carpe Vitam (“seize life”) is a Swedish non-profit foundation with the world as its field of activity. It is created with the purpose to strengthen people’s social commitment in projects that gain a long-term development of the society. Its mission is to improve social entrepreneurship and support projects within education and cultural heritage.

The goal is to create, stimulate and attract attention to vital cultural, social and pedagogical contributions. Carpe Vitam is an inspirer, initiator, catalyser and sponsor within the areas of culture and research. The work is managed from a number of strong basic principles and manifests itself in both ongoing and finished projects. The basic principles are, among others, about learning and education, commitment and leadership.

There is a pressing lack of education in the world. The ability to profound learning, meaning learning to learn, depends on the talent of the individual and on external circumstances. All different forms of learning are important, informal learning as well. This is why all different forms of “high culture” should be available to everybody. This is also the reason why Carpe Vitam has chosen to support museums, theatres, art galleries, concert halls and opera houses.

When people gather around a cultural project a feeling of belonging is created. And the necessary commitment that is required to preserve the old culture and create a new emerges. The bigger and more welcoming the network for learning activities becomes, the bigger grows the fellowship, the city and the whole society’s social, cultural and intellectual capital.

The projects sponsored by Carpe Vitam are driven by and grounded in our basic principles. All focusing on learning that promotes curiosity, creativity and cooperation. And all of these projects with common goal to encourage inquisitiveness, reflection, thinking critical, justice and truth.