The European project ARTY, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, launches the free online course “Capacity Building program“. The course is dedicated to professionals working with young people and aims to provide them with innovative tools and new skills to implement interventions targeted to adolescent in order to promote their mental health through the use of digital art techniques.
The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions had a major impact on the mental health of young people, particularly those with pre-existing psychopathological conditions or significant risk factors. In fact, there was an increase in prevalence rates of anxiety disorders, mood disorders and problem behaviour. Therefore, offering support services and ensuring continuity in the accessibility of care and interventions, even at a distance, has become a priority for all those working with adolescents. In fact, the ARTY project course aims to provide professionals with new tools for the promotion of young people’s mental wellbeing that can be appealing, innovative and usable within online interventions at a distance. Art can be an interesting tool that allows the expression and processing of emotional experiences and difficult life experiences, as well as the expression and experimentation of one’s own identity, enabling the development of a more conscious sense of self. The innovative aspect of the ARTY project consists in the combination of art with digital tools, allowing the execution of the main artistic activities using tablets, phones, computers, virtual reality visors and video game consoles, in short, through tools that speak the same language as adolescents.
The course was piloted in Italy, Spain, Romania, Cyprus and Greece involving a total of 384 professionals working with young people, including psychologists, educators, teachers and art therapists. The professionals involved found the course interesting and rich in creative input.
All course materials are now accessible online free of charge on the project website www.artyproject.eu
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