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Project/initiative|Greece, Belgium, Czech Republic|Transnational

ART4PSY: Promoting social inclusion through art

Project title

ART4PSY: Promoting social inclusion through art

Description of initiative

The ART4PSY Project is exploring innovative ways of building understanding between people with severe mental health illness and the general population in order to facilitate their social inclusion, while in the same time it promotes transnational circulation of cultural and creative works produced by mental health patients. Additionally, ART4PSY supports mental health patients to explore the possibility for a career in the cultural and creative sector. Furthermore ART4PSY will promote social inclusion, fight stigma and increase public awareness of talents and skills of artists with mental health problems.
The project offers mental health patients from three different countries the opportunity to co-produce “The European Theatrical Performance”. Part of the project will be dedicated to the development of (a) a toolkit, which will gather methodology, good practices, activities and other material and can be used by mental health practitioners from all over the world; and (b) a digital library where artwork of mental health patients from all over the world will be exhibited and promoted. The project includes the development and implementation of three (3) ART4PSY festivals (one in each country), which include theatrical performance (starting from writing the play and going all the way to the show), painting exhibition and photography exhibition.

Further information on the initiative

Themes: Culture and...

Individual well-being
Community well-being
Mental health
Quality of social relations
Quality of services for specific groups
Work and workplace well-being

Keywords

social inclusion, creative careers, mental health, festivals, photography, painting

Target group

Not targeted to a specific group

Cultural field

Theatre, opera | Visual arts

Budget

€197.912

Timeframe

2018 - 2022

Sources of funding

Creative Europe Programme of the EU (Culture Sub-programme)

Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt

3 festivals (http://www.art4psy.eu/en-us/FESTIVALS) were organised in the partner countries:
- In Greece, the Festival took place the 19-20-21 November 2021 under the title “Art Creations & Mental Health via Zoom.
- In Belgium, the Festival took place the 22-23 October 2021 in the area of the “Pianocktail” Bar.
- In the Czech republic, the Festival took place the 27-28 of November, 2021 via Youtube channel.

An online Digital Library was created where all artwork are stored and promoted. This digital library constitutes an art gallery where mental health service users can store an promote their work in the following years as well. Artists with mental health problems have the opportunity to reach a broader audience and develop their career using the online tools to upload and present their works. Through the platform they have the opportunity to create online profiles and portfolios, participate to virtual exhibitions, and add information for their, find customers for their products, see others works, etc. The platform includes an API that is the tool that handles the execution of all the communication protocols, and the synchronization and the data transfer among all components of the ART4PSY system; it also implements and monitors the main security mechanisms.
The ART4PSY Documentary was produced, with video material from the rehearsals of the theatrical group and from the artwork creation, together with video material from the ART4PSY Festivals (performances and exhibitions). It includes short interviews from people who participated in the project, and a brief presentation of the Digital Library and the European ART4PSY Toolkit.

Organizer(s)

ΠΕΨΑΕΕ - Η Πανελλαδική Ένωση για την Ψυχοκοινωνική Αποκατάσταση και την Επαγγελματική Επανένταξη
Greece
NGO / Non-profit | Health

Partner(s)

Art Movement
Czech Republic
NGO / Non-profit | Culture
L’appétit des Indigestes
Belgium
NGO / Non-profit | Culture
Theofanis Alexandridis KAI SIA EE/ Omegatech
Greece
Private / Business | Other