The project aimed to reach four interconnected goals. First, it sought to acquire practical and transferable knowledge on how to organize an art therapy festival—a format still inexistent in Belgium. Second, it intended to foster a collective dynamic involving patients, professionals, families, artists, and external partners in a shared creative process, generating meaning and belonging. Third, it aimed to advance the use of art therapy by developing and sharing good practices and promoting therapeutic processes rooted in artistic expression. Finally, the project aspired to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness by increasing the visibility and active participation of people affected by psychiatric disorders. Through a participatory and inclusive approach, I-ACT strived to redefine the role of psychiatric institutions as places of cultural innovation and social connection.
The I-ACT project was conceived to address a critical gap in mental health services: the lack of participatory, inclusive, and community-based art therapy initiatives involving people with psychiatric disorders. In Belgium, no precedent existed for a festival of this kind. The project aimed to reduce stigma, foster social inclusion, and empower patients by enabling them to co-create a public event. Professionals lacked structured knowledge and exposure to innovative art therapy practices across Europe. The need to build interdisciplinary and transnational collaborations also emerged as essential to improve care practices and share methodologies. By initiating a participative process from June 2024 onwards—mobilising patients, caregivers, artists, and educators—the project responded directly to these needs, turning creative expression into a vehicle for resilience, visibility, and transformation. The project’s added value lies in bridging the clinical and cultural spheres through artistic collaboration and lived experience.