EDRA

ART4MORE aims to connect Contemporary Art with Mental Health, raising public awareness and fostering dialogue around critical social and psychological issues.

In its 17th edition, the festival embraces the One Health approach, highlighting the profound interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health.

The initiative is addressed:

• to artists,
• public mental health service recipients,
• mental health service providers and
• the general public.

It is an annual two-day Festival held from 2007 to the present.

ART4MORE is an innovative International Arts Festival, linking contemporary Art with Mental Health, and raising awareness on social and mental health issues. The annual festival is conducted by K.S.D.E.O. “EDRA” since 2007, celebrating World Mental Health Day (10th October). The festival explores a different central social awareness issue each year through contemporary international artworks, including visual arts, music, film, drama, dance, architecture, new media, and design. (URL: www.art4more.org)

In 2024, the theme “One Health” invites us to a holistic exploration of the relationship between humans, animals, and the environment through visual art, BioArt, experiential educational projects, performances, workshops, and scientific talks.

The 17th International Festival of Art & Mental Health, ART4MORE 2024, recognizing the increasing disconnection of humans from their natural environment, proposed art as a catalyst for reconnection with nature and animals, as well as a powerful tool for cultivating empathy and ecological awareness. It was a journey of discovering our relationship with nature and animals. In recent years, people have become increasingly alienated from the natural world, living predominantly in urbanized areas. Interaction with animals helps us uncover new aspects of ourselves, reconnect with our human nature, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

Through artworks and artistic events, the festival showcased the harmony, dynamics, and challenges within the human–animal–environment relationship, exploring the concept of One Health.
BioArt installations, One Health experiential educational projects, performances, workshops for children and adults, soundscapes, talks, musical journeys, and more were among the festival’s activities, embracing a holistic and collective approach to One Health through art and mental health advocacy.

By participating in the festival, visitors had the opportunity to experience groundbreaking artworks, hear from mental health professionals who shared insights on the healing power of nature, and engage with experts inspiring action toward a more sustainable world.

The festival featured:

• BioArt exhibitions exploring the connection between the human body and the environment

• Presentation of One Health experiential actions in collaboration with health professionals

• Creative and therapeutic workshops for children and adults

• Soundscapes and audiovisual works treating nature as a healing ally

• Contributions by mental health professionals, environmentalists, and artists

This initiative supports social transformation by promoting accessibility to culture and giving voice to communities traditionally underrepresented in the artistic dialogue.

Festival URL: https://art4more.org/art4more-2024/
Main ART4MORE Website: www.art4more.org

ART4MORE  throughout the time (Portfolio):

1st ART4MORE

6 October 2007 – Dutch Institute

The 1st Festival was organized by K.S.D.E.O. "EDRA", motivated by the disastrous fires in the Peloponnese and the difficult consequences on the psyche of the people.

• Photographic exhibition from the area

• Presentations from realized interventions

• Discussion on ways of intervention and psychological support for vulnerable groups

D.I.Y. - ART4MORE 2015, 10 & 11 October, Impact Hub Athens

• Workshops on 3D poster, Linocut, Zine, Silent Short Film, Street Art Stencil, Character Design, Social Collage, Digital Sculpting, κ.α.
• Exhibition of Street Craft
• Handmade activism, within the movement D.I.Y.

TAILS OF THERAPY - ART4MORE 2014, 18-19 October, VRYSAKI

• Exhibition of animal assisted therapy: animals contribute to the healing process of people with mental health problems
• Original artworks by contemporary artists for pets
• Photographic portraits of artists with pets
• Audiovisual material

VISUAL STORYTELLING - ART4MORE 2013, 12-13 October, ΒΡΥΣΑΚΙ

Visual storytelling, art, communication, and learning, especially for children with learning difficulties.

• Social Infographics & works with various narrative possibilities
• Children's workshops
• Children Laboratories
• Live sculptures
• Performances.

TACTILE FESTIVAL- ART4MORE 2012, 12-14 October, Pop-Up123

Contemporary art forms are being explored with all senses; operating therapeutic in psychosocial rehabilitation and improving accessibility to culture for new target groups.

"TACTILE" Exhibition, with tangible projects and projects accessed via different senses:

• Soft Sculptures
• Ready-mades and Fittings
• Tactile-Visual Sculpture
• Pop-up Books
• Engineering of Paper
• Books for the visually impaired
• Puppets
• Synaesthetic works.

Volunteer escorts are sighted, trained by the National Blind Association.

NON-PLACE ART - ART4MORE 2011, 7 - 9 October, The HUB Events

Non-Place Art Exhibition: 100 works of Greek artists and mental health units in post-its, white pages, moleskines, calendars, and any other surface. Return to primary forms and experimental art, as the art of "mentally ill" and development of a spontaneous "picture language" as a way of expression and an alternative therapeutic mental health recovery means.

• Parallel happenings
• Dj Performance with electronic violin sounds
• Acrobatic Dance.

Therapeutic Architecture - ART4MORE 2011, 7 - 9 October, The HUB Events

Workshop and Exhibition on Therapeutics Architecture projects in Mental Health Structures

SOCIAL DESIGN - ART4MORE 2010, 9-10 October, Yoga Bala / Art Gate

• Social Design Exhibition: "socially sensitised» posters that create social change in daily life. Great collection of works by the distinguished designer Luba Lukova, works of Greek Artists
• Lecture and interactive poster exhibition "A Land Without People for a People Without Land": Nuno Coelho and Adam Kershaw
• Overview of Creative Waves of the Greek Graphic Designers Association
• Adult Toys’ Exhibition for equality and human rights
• Roundtable discussion on social design
• Dance theater, musical events

REPRESENTATIONS OF DIVERSITY - ART4MORE 2009, 9 - 11 October, Art House

Film, theater, and visual representations of diversity, involving the aspect of Greek and foreign artists.

Collaboration: International Film Festival RENDEZ VOUS WITH MADNESS (Canada), International Alternative Mediterranean CORTO DEL MED Festival (France).

ART4MORE 2008, 3-4 October, Art House

Two-day event: public awareness campaign, theatrical performances, film screenings, and music events.

The festival has consistently received official support from key institutional bodies:

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Culture & Sports

Region of Attica

Municipality of Athens

Municipality of Agioi Anargyroi – Kamatero

It has also collaborated with a wide range of partners, including:

Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA)

Attica Psychiatric Hospital (Dafni)

Management Authority of “Antonis Tritsis” Metropolitan Park

Serafio City of Athens

Greek Graphic Designers Association

Panhellenic Association of the Blind

International Arts & Mental Health Festivals

Mental Health Organizations

Civil Society Organizations

Educational Institutions

Galleries & Museums

The music program of the festival has featured many renowned artists over the years.

Indicatively, some of them include:
Penny Baltatzi, Maria Papageorgiou, Vasilis Kazoulis, Natassa Bofiliou, Themis Karamouratidis, Gadjo Dilo, Stathis Drogosis, Vasiliki Karakosta, Iliana Tsapatsari, Encardia, GAD, Stelios Davaris, Joanna Drigo, Alexandros Goudas, Abbie Gale, Pop Eye, SELAS, TELSON, TRANSISTOR, VICTORY COLLAPSE, Efstathia, among others.

Cooperating associations 2024:

• Antonis Tritsis Metropolitan Park
• Alzheimer Hellas
• DIODOS Social Cooperative Enterprise (SCE)
• AMALTHEIA Social Cooperative Enterprise (SCE)
• Department of Environment, University of the Aegean
• General Hospital of Mytilene – “Vostanio” – Mental Health Sector

Media Sponsorship

Athens News Agency, Mega Channel, Athina 984, Mad ΤV & Mad Radio, Athens Voice, Eurocharity, Global Sustain, ελculture.gr, DIESI 101.3, EN LEFKO, eirinika.gr, deBop, culturenow.gr, forfree.gr, in2life.gr, Naftemporiki, Eleftheros Typos, Sportday, StarPress, NATURA, Apopsi, MAKEDONIA, thetoc.gr, avecnews.gr, Rizopoulospost, newpost.gr, livemedia.gr, monopoly.gr, iefimerida.gr, newsitamea.gr, athensvoice, sport8.gr, lay-out.gr, ygeia360.gr, Alteractive.gr, Psychografimata, culturenow.gr, flowermagazine.gr, zoosos, infokids.gr, press-gr, gynaika.gr, idradio. LIFO

Approximately 40 employees and 20 volunteers per year.

At every Festival, the primary goal is to engage the public more broadly and connect remote regions to the ongoing dialogue about mental health. ART4MORE 2024 traveled and collaborated across Greece:

Athens
Metropolitan Park Antonis Tritsis
Saturday, October 12 & Sunday, October 13, 2024

Thessaloniki
September 28, 2024, in collaboration with Alzheimer Hellas

Volos
October 9–10, 2024, in collaboration with DIODOS AMKE

Tripoli
October 17–18, 2024, in collaboration with AMALTHEIA AMKE

Mytilene
October 18–19, 2024, in collaboration with the Department of Environment of the University of the Aegean and the General Hospital of Mytilene – “Vostanio” – Mental Health Sector

Till this day:

• Visitors: approximately 6,000 people.
• Participants in workshops: 600 people
• Participating artists: 350

K.S.D.E.O. "EDRA"’s ART4MORE Festival has evolved over time and has been established in the field as the first Festival in Greece that links Art and Mental Health.

Utilizing these 9 years of experience, "EDRA" is the Coordinator of a five European organizations’ partnership for the approved project Networking European Festivals for mEntal Life Enhancement (NEFELE Project), implemented under the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Actions:

• 1st European Festival, Athens, 1-16 October 2016
• Bouziani Museum, Fine Arts
• Founding  Conference of the European Art Festivals Network for Mental Health, Athens, January 2017

Further results:
• Establishing a unique European network based in Greece
• The first European Festival was established in Greece
• Greek leadership body at the European level.