During the last few months of the project, the Breaking Taboos about Mental Health (BTMH) partners have led a series of workshops to create interactive comics with young people and youth workers as a means to deconstruct the prejudices around mental health.
When sharing our experience, we all reached the same conclusion: using comics to engage in meaningful conversations on sensitive topics is definitely a success. Indeed, when looking at our young participants’ feedback, it convinced us of the importance of such projects and work.
But, how to better talk about these enriching moments than through the partners’ words?
In France
Les Apprimeurs organised a series of workshops in Saint-Nazaire and Rosny-sous-Bois with the aim of expanding this format to schools, other youth centres, and public structures. The workshops in France used digital comics to explore mental health with young people. At Cercle J (in Rosny-sous-Bois), participants aged 16–25 learned about mental health myths, disorders, and helpful responses before creating comics on themes like body image and isolation. The final works were exhibited at a health forum. In Saint-Nazaire, pupils aged 14–16 from a “classe relais” (an alternative education programme) joined a four-session workshop. They learned to use digital tools, created storylines, and presented their comics about mental health to young ambassadors. Both initiatives encouraged creativity, tackled sensitive topics, and helped participants feel valued.
➡️ Read the full article on EPALE about the Cerlce J workshop
➡️ Read the full article on EPALE about the “classe relais” workshop
In Belgium
Logopsycom, our Belgian partner, used comic creation in two workshops to address mental health and foster empathy and creativity among youth and educators. The first workshop engaged 14–15-year-olds with Specific Learning Disorders, in discussions and comic-making to deconstruct stereotypes and promote self-expression. In the second workshop, educators and professionals explored these methods, creating comics and brainstorming how to apply them in their work. Both groups tackled themes like depression myths and seeking help as a strength. These activities helped participants reflect on social issues and equipped educators with innovative teaching tools.
In Lithuania
In Lithuania, a new youth work approach places youth workers in schools to address students’ mental health and social challenges. Druskininkai JUC introduced comic creation to help young people explore mental health topics creatively. Comics allowed participants to express emotions visually, fostering discussion and reducing stigma around issues like stress and depression. This method has been successfully tested in workshops with local youth centres, proving effective in promoting self-awareness and dialogue. Thanks to the general enthusiasm, plans are underway to expand its use in education and youth work.
In Poland
Our Polish team organised two workshops, including one in Upper Silesia that brought together young people aged 15-19 to explore mental health stereotypes through comic creation. Led by specialists from the Arteria Foundation and supported by a school psychologist, participants first discussed the impact of stereotypes on mental health. They then collaborated in groups to create comics that challenged harmful myths, combining words and images to address issues like addiction and treatment stigma. The session encouraged reflection, creativity, and dialogue, aiming to empower youth to better understand and communicate about mental health challenges. This session demonstrated how creative methods can foster awareness and change.
In Slovenia
In November, Zavod Risa hosted a workshop in Slovenj Gradec, where we collaborated with young people to create comics centered around mental health topics. The workshop aimed to support participants in identifying and expressing emotions related to mental health struggles, including stress and depression. Through the process of comic creation, participants were able to express their feelings in visual form, which made it easier for them to communicate and reflect on their emotional experiences. The workshop was a valuable experience, and we look forward to continuing to use creative methods in future initiatives.
Looking back at the project
Although the BTMH project is soon coming to an end, we believe that the last few months of testing have proved to us that the project has grounded the seeds for new ideas, collaboration opportunities and initiatives. In other words: it seems to be only the beginning of a long series of creative workshops.