Refugees and immigrants face psychological and social problems as they adapt to a new environment. The main issue addressed in the workshop is related to the concept of identity.

When entering the workshop, participants are facing difficulties with their new life, so the team helps them express themselves through art and surpass their problems. 

The basic goals are: improvement of daily life, bringing down anxiety levels, expressing oneself, enhancing communication among group members, and inspiring hope. 

The group each year consists of 20 participants. However the effects of such an activity are expanded outside the workshop boundaries. Family, friends and colleagues of the participants also receive the positive effect of the changes in the participants’ life.

During the year the workshop instructors use several techniques inspired by the Art Therapy practice in order to achieve the proposed goals in the weekly meetings. Apart from the workshop hours, the participants visit museums, theatre plays, exhibitions and photographic city tours. Also twice a year, a show and a photography exhibition is organized so that participants showcase their work and the audience is informed about the activities of the organizers.

After each year’s end, note the results of the activities for each group. In general we have observed an increase of their verbal communication skills, creativity and imagination levels and a general improvement to their well being.

The participants themselves feel that they have learned throughout the year, they feel they have more skills and they believe that «without the workshop their life would be a lot more miserable».

The evaluation is based on three points.

1. Observation of specialists (sociologists/ psychologists attending the workshop), who write down chronicles and fill fixed questionnaires 

2. Interviews with the participants 

3. Notes of the therapists involved 

The resources available are the artwork produced together with the comments/chronicles of each session and quantitive statistical data of the population involved.

It is of great importance to maintain a specific place and time for the workshop to be held during the year, giving to the participants a feeling of safety. 

The target group is refugees and immigrants living in the city of Athens. The number of the group each year affected is around 40.

The project runs with the support of the European Refugee Fund, distributed in Greece through the Ministry of Health, as an annual grant.

The project covers additional needs through sponsorships from private individuals and institutions, such as Western Union, and HSBC bank.

Fund raising events are organized where donations in kind are received.

Crucial point is the communication team, who works so that the project gains publicity. Also the help of the volunteers who support us in various departments is priceless.

The total annual budget is that of 35.000 Euros.