The idea for the project emerged from a growing need to equip young people across Europe, including ourselves, with tools and methods that support mental well-being and a need to empower us to take action in educating society about the impact of overwhelming stress among young people. This project will address this need by promoting tools commonly used in art therapy, which focuses on expressing emotions through creative processes. As young people attending a band club, we already use music extensively as a means of emotional expression. However, through this project, we aim to explore a wider range of artistic methods as tools for self-expression. During the youth exchange, participants will engage in approaches such as abstract painting, spatial art, and artificial intelligence-generated art. These methods will open new pathways for expressing experiences, emotions, fears, and hopes that are often difficult to articulate verbally, particularly under high levels of stress. These activities will play a key role in developing stress management skills, an increasingly critical need for young people today. We believe that unaddressed emotions can lead to emotional overload, daily functioning difficulties, and the creation of further personal and social barriers. Since verbal expression can be challenging for many, using art to communicate feelings and personal stories represents a meaningful and accessible step towards improved mental well-being. Research by Jose et al. (2023) highlights that art is an effective medium for emotional expression and should be more widely used for this purpose. The need to implement this youth exchange stems from our direct observations of our peers. We have noticed that an increasing number of young people openly report facing situations that challenge their mental well-being regularly. To better understand this reality, we conducted an online survey among young people, aiming to identify the main barriers to mental well-being and to gather perspectives on what support mechanisms could help overcome these challenges. Link to survey: https://forms.gle/bLnxDLK6y13WuoiHA The survey revealed that: • 78% of respondents noticed decreased well-being in themselves or in people close to them • 82% consider decreased well-being and high stress among young people to be a serious issue • 64% identified free expression and sharing of emotions as a key factor in mental health • 68% believe that art can be a helpful way to express feelings • 80% stated that well-being education should be addressed more often and that they currently lack adequate support in this area Further research led us to findings published by the OECD in its 2025 article “Promoting good mental health in children and young adults: Best practices in public health.” The OECD highlights that the mental health of children and young people across EU countries is both low and steadily worsening. Between 2018 and 2022, there was a significant increase in the number of adolescents reporting recurring mental health challenges. During the same period, diagnoses of anxiety and depression among individuals under 20 increased by approximately 20%. Most alarmingly, suicide has become the leading cause of death among people aged 15–30 within the European Union. The information gathered through our observations, survey results, and research has reinforced the urgent importance of supporting young people’s mental well-being and actively promoting mental health care. Implementing the Beyond the Canvas project will allow us, young people, to come together to build a more empathetic society and to create safe spaces for individuals experiencing decreased mental well-being, starting with the free and creative expression of emotions. The main aim of the project is to strengthen young people’s mental well-being by providing them with creative art tools that support emotional expression, stress management, and empathy, while empowering them to raise awareness about mental health challenges faced by young people in their communities. The objectives are • Increase participants’ ability to recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions (emotional intelligence) by 55%, compared to pre-project levels • Increase participants' understanding of mental health and mental well-being by 80%. At the same time, we will work to improve stress management skills among participants by 35% • Raise awareness of the importance of mental well-being by 55% among participants and 35% among the wider audience • Increase creative thinking skills by 50% through the creation of emotion-based art • Increase empathy towards the impact of high stress levels on young people by 50% among participants and 30% among the audience Thanks to the project, we will also be creating a safe and empathetic platform that supports individuals facing mental health challenges on their journey towards well-being