TRUST: An Innovative Art Therapy Approach to Support War Victims in Ukraine
TRUST is an Erasmus+ KA220 project that introduces an innovative art therapy approach, serving as a solidarity program to support the victims of the war in Ukraine.
The project is coordinated by the psychiatric hospital Centre Neuro Psychiatrique Saint-Martin in Belgium, in partnership with the “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” National University in Ukraine, the Associação Europlural Project in Portugal, the Lekama Foundation in Luxembourg, the Fondazione Internazionale Don Luigi Di Liegro in Italy, and our association in Greece.
Objectives
- Main Objective: To enhance the psychological and physical well-being of war victims in Ukraine, providing support for managing stress and trauma related to the conflict.
- To highlight the life stories and artistic expressions of Ukrainians as powerful testimonies of the human impact of war, promoting EU values of peace and justice.
- To cultivate skills for organizing artistic and cultural events within and beyond hospitals, contributing to the destigmatization of mental health.
- To provide knowledge about art therapy to mental health professionals, educators, artists, and the general public.
- To foster collaboration between mental health networks, artists, cultural institutions, and civil society.
- To promote art therapy as a tool for social inclusion, self-esteem enhancement, and overall well-being.
- To emphasize the transformative power of art in healing and communication, with a focus on war victims in Ukraine.
- To disseminate the EU values of solidarity and peace.
Key Results
- Art Therapy: A European Approach for War Victims
- Development of a European educational e-book to promote art therapy for war victims, aligned with EU values.
- Provision of theoretical and practical training to strengthen the skills of mental health professionals, educators, artists, and family members of victims.
- Culturally Sensitive Educational Program for Adults
- Creation of educational tools for art therapy aimed at psychological recovery for war victims and empowerment for trainers.
- Launch of a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) integrating art as a transformative medium for mental health improvement.
- Art Peace: A Tribute to Ukraine
- Showcasing personal stories and artistic works of Ukrainians to raise public awareness about the impact of conflicts.
- Building connections between mental health centers, artists, cultural institutions, and educators to promote collaboration.
- Organizing artistic events to combat mental health stigma while fostering empathy and solidarity.
This project, centered on art and human connection, provides healing opportunities and empowerment for war victims and their families.