RNPS Concludes "Creative Arts for Children's Mental Health" Conference
Ramallah – RED NOSES Palestine
RED NOSES International – Palestine concluded yesterday its networking conference titled "Creative Arts for Children's Mental Health", bringing together a wide range of cultural and artistic organisations, local and international partners, as well as donors and supporters of the arts sector in Palestine.
The conference aimed to highlight the importance of creative arts as an effective tool for supporting children's mental health and psychosocial well-being, particularly in light of the growing humanitarian and psychological challenges facing children in Palestine, including the impacts of conflict, displacement, poverty, and marginalisation, with a special focus on children with disabilities.
This conference builds on an online campaign launched by RED NOSES Palestine between November 2025 and April 2026 titled “Healing with Creative Arts.” The campaign was implemented in partnership with six leading arts and cultural organisations: The Palestinian Circus, Visual Arts Forum, Art to Heart, Al Kamandjati Association, Palestinian Performing Arts Network, and The Freedom Theatre.
The campaign aimed to raise awareness about the importance of creative arts, including music, theatre, circus, healthcare clowning, performing arts, and visual arts, as a powerful approach for psychosocial support for children. It also advocated for integrating creative arts into mental health services for children in Palestine.
The conference served as a platform for networking and exchange between local and international institutions and stakeholders, with the goal of building future partnerships and strengthening cooperation in developing sustainable programs that support children’s mental health through the arts.
The conference focused on several key themes, including, exploring the psychological challenges faced by children in Palestine, especially children with disabilities and those affected by conflict, displacement, and poverty, in addition to discussing the role of creative arts, including medical clowning, music, performing arts, and visual arts, in providing emotional support, reducing stress, and creating safe spaces for expression, also it focuses on strengthening dialogue between civil society organisations, government institutions, and local communities on how to develop sustainable mental health programs in Palestine.
"I facilitated a session on access to creative arts for children with disabilities, the challenges they face, and how these barriers can be overcome. It was an important discussion, and we were able to develop valuable recommendations for organisations and stakeholders working in this field." Mohannad Al Shafie, an Inclusion and Disability Expert, stated.
Raed Sadeq, the Managing Director of RED NOSES Palestine, stated:
"This conference marks an important step toward building an effective network with local and international organisations, enabling us to expand the impact of our healthcare clowning work and reach more children, regardless of their circumstances. Mental health is a priority-not only for our organisation but for society as a whole. We are grateful to our partners and supporters whose active contributions will help us move this work forward."
Moreover, the conference included a variety of interactive artistic activities, such as performances by the healthcare clowns and circus artists, children’s participation in drawing, dancing, and music, as well as success stories and videos showing the impact of creative arts on the lives of children and how these activities have improved their mental and social well-being. The conference also includes panel discussions aimed at producing practical recommendations to support the development of this vital sector.
The conference was organised as part of the project "Humour Gives Hope: Strengthening the Mental Health of Marginalized Children and Adolescents in Palestine through Medical Clowning," supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. It also forms part of the project "Clowns for Prosperity – Phase II: Unleashing Joy and Fostering Growth," implemented in partnership with the Drosos Foundation.
It is worth noting that RED NOSES International - Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2010 and is part of the parent organisation, RED NOSES International in Vienna, which carries a humanitarian mission focused on spreading humour and laughter among people in need of joy. RNPS reaffirms its commitment to continuing collaboration with active partners and institutions to enhance children’s access to safe and supportive spaces through creative arts.
