Artful Healing

18 October 2024

Program: Erasmus+, KA152
Project Leader: Cyprus; Jamaal Elmi Foundation
Duration: 9 – 18 October

Partners:
Poland
Germany
Bulgaria
Finland
Italy
Sweden
Cyprus
The Netherlands

Project progress:

10.10
We started the day with exercises that helped us remember each other’s names and nationalities. Then we played various games that allowed us to get to know each other better. On the same day, we drew our secret friends for the coming week. At the end of the day, we had the opportunity to learn more about each other through a “speed date,” and then we introduced our partner to the rest of the group.

11.10
The second day began with a dance energizer. Later, we divided into groups, and our goal was to create creative videos presenting the key points of Erasmus+ projects. Then we divided into groups again and worked on five different topics related to mental health. This was a time when we could learn how this topic is viewed in different countries. We presented the results of our discussions to other groups. We ended the day with a cultural evening led by teams from Poland, Finland, and Bulgaria. We had the opportunity to hear interesting facts about each country, play quizzes, dance, and try traditional dishes.

12.10
We started the third day with a brainstorming session on what anxiety, depression, and panic attacks mean to us and what we associate them with. After dividing into groups, we dealt with one of the previously discussed topics and were tasked with drawing something that would capture the essence of the problem. The results of our work were later presented to other participants, which allowed for further discussion. We ended the day with a drawing that was supposed to represent our last month, the emotions we experienced, and how we felt in general.

14.10
On the fourth day, we chose a mayor and two assistants for a mini-performance, and then divided into groups. The task was to prepare and present an idea for a social project. In this performance, we pretended that we were trying to get funding from the mayor, so we had to come up with good arguments that would convince him to choose our proposal. Later, the Polish team led a workshop during which all teams worked on an international postcard, painting very distinctive and traditional things related to their country. We ended the day with an intercultural game that taught us that communication in society is the key to success.

15.10
We devoted the entire fifth day to working in groups on preparing a video promoting the Erasmus+ project. Each team had a slightly different topic, for example, one team presented what Erasmus+ projects are, and another promoted our specific project. In the evening, we presented our work.

16.10
On the sixth day, we worked in groups on social projects that could be implemented in reality. Each team had interesting ideas on how to promote mental health and raise awareness on this topic. We presented our ideas to the group. At the end of the day, we worked on preparing a brochure about our project, which included, among other things, advice on how to deal with anxiety and how to help people struggling with mental health issues.

17.10
On the last day, the secret friends were revealed. Then we had time for reflection. Each participant shared what they had learned during the entire project, what emotions they were taking home with them, but also what they would like to leave behind. After sharing their feelings, the Youthpass certificate award ceremony began. We organized it in an interesting way – each participant drew one certificate and had to describe the person to whom it belonged. The rest of the group guessed who it was. The project ended with a very enjoyable exercise proposed by the Polish team. Each participant stuck a piece of paper on their back, and the others wrote short notes on it with their feelings about that person.