An Expressive (Art) therapies System for young people –KA 2 Erasmus+

The purpose of the project is to generate a group-focused and person-centered system of expressive therapies (art therapy and drama therapy system) for young people experiencing situations such as: mental issues, behavioral issues, trauma or general illness. The project will involve a number of 40 young beneficiaries and 10 art therapists from 4 different countries.
The therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, is of great use to people who experience illness, trauma or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art.
Drama therapy is the use of theatre techniques to facilitate personal growth and promote mental health. Drama therapy is used in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals schools, mental health centers, prisons, etc.
The products-intellectual outputs of the project will be:
- A therapy toolkit based on music and dance: using music and dance in order to trigger reactions and to encourage self-awareness
- A methodology of photography therapy- taking photos apparently in a random manner in order to discover revealing aspects of one’s feeling and perceptions
- A handbook of subjects for paintings and drawings
- A handbook of 10 drama therapy exercises for young people
In terms of trainings the project will include:
Two trainings for 10 youth workers- drama therapists- one on the methods and the second a practice for the methods.
The project will also involve a one-to-one therapy and also a group therapy with the beneficiaries (15 beneficiaries in Romania and 5 in each of the partner countries).
The budget of the project is of 60 000 euro. All travel, accommodation and training costs will be covered by the leader.
The applicant: Theater for You Association is an independent cultural project, based in Timisoara-Romania. The main focus in the activity is on underground theater and education through theater. Nevertheless, all projects bring alongside theater, contemporary dance, literature, music and painting and sculpting. The main target group of the association is youth, creative young people and also young people that can use art as a method of education. The organization was involved in more than 10 local projects, 4 national projects and 3 international projects.