Empowering Creative Minds

EMPOWERING CREATIVE MINDS

Transforming trauma into expression, art into dialogue, and creativity into healing

About

The Empowering Creative Minds project aims to create a reflective process to enable vulnerable creatives across Europe to confront and articulate their experiences of trauma through artistic means. The project’s primary goals include helping vulnerable creatives express themselves, raise awareness about trauma, and launch creative processes to facilitate community discussion on trauma. The project aligns with the European Commission’s emphasis on promoting good mental health, prevention, and early intervention for mental health issues. It also focuses on training artists, establishing an online information hub, executing co-creation events, and launching local pilot projects to support mental health resources and cultural integration. Moreover, the project fosters transnational cooperation, encourages diverse cultural exchange, and contributes to breaking through the stigma of mental health problems. The project further aligns with the Creative Europe Call’s objectives by promoting creativity, cultural diversity, transnational collaboration, and education within the cultural sector. It emphasizes the use of art as a tool for social change and aims to address trauma through reflection, therapy, and communication within communities.

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STILL HERE

Still Here brings together two years of artistic collaboration across Germany, Luxembourg, Poland and Ukraine. Through paintings, dance and co-created works, the exhibition explores trauma, transformation, resilience and the stories we carry with us.

Rethinking Support for Artists in Luxembourg, panel talk for the Luxembourg Final forum

The Luxembourg Final Forum brought artists, institutions and local actors together to rethink how artists can be better supported. The discussion explored professional recognition, community networks, mental health, social protection and the role of culture as a public good.

Finding Voice in the Space Between, panel talk for the Luxembourg Final Forum

Finding Voice in the Space Between explored how art can create alternative forms of expression for people affected by trauma. The panel discussed silence, creativity, safe spaces and the importance of working with communities to foster connection and resilience.

Art, the Body and Nature as Pathways to Conversations about Trauma

In Bratnik, artists and participants from Poland, Ukraine and Belarus explored trauma, migration and connection through movement, art and nature. The workshops showed how creative practices can offer new ways to express, reflect and rebuild a sense of belonging.

Transforming Trauma Through Art

In Berlin, artists and creatives explored trauma, resilience and healing through collage and sculpture. Across three months of workshops, art became a space to process personal histories, transform fragmented experiences and foster connection within migrant and marginalised communities.

Psychosocial Support as a Resource for Community Resilience

In Sheptytskyi, Ukraine, 29 educators, IDPs and creatives explored trauma and resilience through charcoal drawing and micro-embroidery. Combining international methodologies with culturally meaningful practices, the workshop fostered both individual empowerment and new community connections.

Lublin co-creation event

In Lublin, participants explored place, voice, body and collective rhythm through creative workshops and cultural encounters. Across two days, movement, music and somatic practices became tools for connection, trust and community building.

Berlin co-creation event

The Berlin Co-creation Event brought participants together to explore trauma, creativity and collective care through artistic, narrative and embodied practices. Across three days, shared experiences became spaces for dialogue, connection and resilience.

Luxembourg co-creation event

The Luxembourg Pilot Workshop brought artists and creatives together to explore trauma, creativity and collective awareness through art, movement and storytelling. Across two days, the workshop fostered dialogue, transnational exchange and new connections.