Kazantzakis is “prescribed” at the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum

 

Literature and the visual arts come together at the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum to enhance the self-image and self-confidence of people with mental illnesses, reduce anxiety, and develop social skills, highlighting the beneficial power of art as a means of expression and connection.

 

The Nikos Kazantzakis Museum, with the encouragement of the Deputy Governor of Culture and Equality of the Region of Crete, Ms. Georgia Milaki, participates in the Ministry of Culture’s research program “Pilot Actions of Cultural Prescription” in the Second Pilot Phase, implementing a cycle of experiential artistic workshops lasting two quarters, entitled “You have the colors, you have the brushes: Cultural Prescription Actions at the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum”.

 

Cultural Prescription is an innovative program of the Ministry of Culture, implemented with the funding of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0” within the framework of Next Generation EU. Its implementation framework is designed by the research team of the “Kostas Stefanis” University Mental Health Research Institute, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine (UMHRI) and is implemented by theDirectorate of Performing Arts and Cinema of the Ministry of Culture.

 

For the implementation of the action, the Museum collaborates with the University Psychiatric Clinic of the 7th Ministry of Culture, based at the Pa.G.N.I. and the Post-Hospital Hostel of the Clinic, directed by Ms. Maria Basta, Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine of the University of Crete, targeting adult patients with chronic mental disorders.

 

The workshops that will be held at the Museum starting on September 10, 2025 will end on February 20, 2026 with 18 adult patients with chronic recurrent depression, patients with bipolar disorder, patients with non-affective psychosis/schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder participating. In each meeting, the participants will discuss a different topic related to the life and work of Nikos Kazantzakis. The creative process, through painting and other visual practices, becomes a journey of personal expression and empowerment inspired by the author’s thought and philosophy.

 

Upon completion of the activity, a group art exhibition will be presented at the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum with the works created by the participants during the workshops.

 

 

The implementation team consists of experts with knowledge in the field of art and mental health:

• Manager of Mental Health: Eleni Aivalioti – Psychologist MSc, PhD
• Manager for artistic action production: Maria Volanaki – visual artist, art therapist MSc
• Manager for monitoring and implementation: Hara Vavadaki – Museologist – Museum Educator, Educational Department Manager of the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum