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April 1, World Art Day, marks the launch date of GAMIAN-Europe’s first European-wide art contest: My heART. The contest is part of a larger project designed to raise awareness of mental health through visual art. This project is developed in collaboration with experts by experience close to the art world and representatives of three member associations of GAMIAN-Europe: Taiteen Sulattamo, Kukunori and Awakenings Foundation whose activities aim at promoting good mental health through various forms of art.

This ongoing project aims to:

• Raise awareness of mental ill health through creativity and non-verbal communication, with a view to help initiate dialogue with people affected by mental health conditions and bring them closer to the general public
• Amplify the voice of people with a lived experience of mental ill health through art, giving visibility to their works and making them accessible to a wider, transnational and European audience
• Create greater collaboration with the member associations of GAMIAN-Europe through the direct involvement of the patients they represent