Continuing on the project ‘Crafting Resilience’, Prevention for Progress and WFAD are executing the project “Acting through Art – offering alternatives for youth”. The project is funded by the Swedish Institute.

The project seeks to, through civil society engagement, support the state agencies under the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Education responsible for primary and secondary prevention of vulnerable adolescents (probation agency, referral center and recourse office). The project seeks to educate their staff and showcase concrete types of possible actions to advance the work with vulnerable youth.

The project will consist of two main components:
A) capacity training seminars for staff from the agencies aforementioned and
B) art therapy sessions for vulnerable young persons and/ juvenile offenders.

It will also create a module tailored to the needs and characteristics of the target group as well as offering vocational trainings. 

The project aims for the following long-term outcomes:

  • Progress in the reintegration of the project final beneficiaries into society and an improvement int he work to prevent youngsters from entering substance use and risky behaviour in the future.
  • Strengthened capacity to work with these issues by the Georgian governments
  • An increased understanding and awareness of addiction and its possibilities to mitigate some of the causes for juvenile anti-social behaviour, crime, and substance use by the Georgian media and wider society.
  • An upgraded role of art as a tool for implementing sound prevention and treatment and addiction and behavioural problems in Georgia.
  • Establish long-term connections.

During the period of May till September 2021, the project ‘Crafting Resilience’ was organised to achieve sustainable reintegration of young offenders in Georgia through Art therapy and capacity-building trainings. The project aimed to apply art therapy to achieve better rehabilitation of young probationers in Georgia (between 14 and 21 years old). During the project, art therapy sessions to several groups were given while health care providers were provided with capacity trainings. 

As part of the project, an online exhibition has been created. Here, you will find artworks created by the children during their art therapy sessions. Enter the online exhibition here