About us

Artists go to war

Cultural Forces was founded in March 2022, when Ukraine's creative community answered the full-scale invasion.

It started as an initiative to support soldiers' morale and mental health, at the front and in the rear. It quickly drew in service members and volunteers from creative professions, many with combat experience. Before the war, they were musicians, world-class performers, directors, designers, architects, and visual artists.

The General Staff backed this new way of working with the military. Meanwhile, our civilian side, a new kind of organization in its own right, launched art projects in frontline communities and liberated territories.

In 2022–2023, two goals shaped our work: supporting soldiers on the front line and rebuilding Ukraine's cultural foundations.

From initiative to platform

Demand for our work grew fast, and the initiative became a platform that connects military and civilian experiences of war. These stories proved just as powerful abroad, so international missions became a core part of what we do. Our members combine combat experience with creative skill, which lets them reach audiences around the world.

The battle for minds

War is also fought in people’s minds. How we see ourselves, the enemy, and the world shapes our ability to win, and so does how they see us. To change minds, you have to reach hearts, and artists know the way. The artist is the key unit of cognitive warfare.