ART for Heal, Empowerment, Agency, Participation, and Youth

forthcoming

ARTHERAPY is a transnational cooperation project that aims to promote the professionalisation of socially engaged artists and strengthen the role of arts-based practices in supporting youth mental health and community wellbeing. The project responds to the growing need for non-clinical, creative, and inclusive approaches to address emotional distress, anxiety, and social isolation among young people and vulnerable communities across Europe. Led by a consortium of 5 partners from 4 countries (Romania, Italy, Greece, Poland), ARTHERAPY combines research, capacity building, artistic experimentation, and policy advocacy over 24 months. The project will develop the ARTHERAPY Competence Framework, a pioneering tool that defines the competences, methodologies, and ethical standards for artists and cultural professionals working at the intersection of arts, mental health, and social inclusion. Building on this framework, the project will deliver 4 national capacity building programmes, involving at least 60 artists and cultural operators across partner countries, providing them with 144 hours of training combining theoretical modules and hands-on workshops. These professionals will then engage in 5 short-term artistic residencies, reaching over 75 young participants aged 16-25, especially from marginalised backgrounds, through co-creation workshops focused on emotional expression, trauma processing, and empowerment. ARTHERAPY will produce key outputs including the Competence Framework, a Toolkit for Replication, a Compendium of Practices, and a Policy Brief, supporting the recognition and institutionalisation of art-based mental health approaches within the cultural and social sectors. Final dissemination events will be organised in all countries, involving at least 300 stakeholders, including policymakers, cultural organisations, educators, and mental health professionals.