The Art for the Prevention of Mental Health Problems (MPAS) project is a 2-year European collaboration (co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union) that harnesses the power of the arts to prevent mental health issues among vulnerable young adults (aged 18–30), particularly those from marginalized communities such as migrants, refugees, minorities, and the unemployed. Recognizing the rise in youth mental health challenges, especially in the post-COVID context, the project aims to create inclusive, safe spaces where artistic expression can serve as a bridge to emotional resilience, identity exploration, and social connection. Through a unique, interdisciplinary methodology that blends creative expression with psychology, narrative therapy, and embodied practices like dance and music, MPAS seeks to “reconnect” young people with themselves, others, and their cultural environments.
The project involves four partner organizations—Proyecto Nagual (Spain), Hope Art (Greece), Omphalos (Italy), and the Association of Psychologists in Bulgaria—each contributing complementary expertise in arts, education, therapy, and psychology. Its main outputs include a practical toolkit for artists and facilitators working in mental health prevention, a training program (delivered both in-person and online) to build the capacity of artists across Europe, and a series of 30 inclusive art-based workshops reaching at least 300 young participants in the partner countries. By embedding environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and gender balance into its design, and by promoting the cross-cultural sharing of knowledge and practices, MPAS contributes to EU priorities on innovation, health, and cultural cooperation—laying the groundwork for a replicable European model of art-based mental health prevention.