Research communication fundingSupporting children with expressive arts researchDr. Mohammad Kalthom about his project "Drawing Resilience"

27 April 2026

Photo: Kalthom

In his project “Drawing Resilience”, art and health researcher Mohammad Kalthom, PhD has developed a visual, bilingual booklet. It introduces expressive arts approaches as tools for psychosocial support for children in the Syrian context. The project was financed through the Hamburg Research Academy support fund for research communication.

How did you come up with the idea for this project?

The idea emerged from my research and field experience working at the intersection of expressive arts and psychosocial support. In the Syrian context, I observed that artistic activities are often understood as recreational rather than as meaningful tools for emotional support. At the same time, many professionals working with children have limited access to approaches that go beyond verbal communication. This gap became particularly visible in contexts where children may not feel able or ready to express themselves through language. The project was therefore motivated by the need to translate academic knowledge into an accessible format that introduces expressive arts as a supportive, culturally adaptable approach.

What are the target groups for the booklet, and why did you choose this medium to reach them?

The booklet is primarily aimed at professionals working in health and psychosocial support with children, including mental health practitioners, counsellors, and staff in community-based organisations. It is designed as an introductory resource that presents expressive arts as an approach that is still relatively unfamiliar and underutilised in the Syrian context. The aim is to provide a first structured understanding of this methodology and its relevance for supporting children’s emotional well-being.

The decision to develop a visual, bilingual booklet was intentional. Many of the intended users have limited access to academic resources or formal training opportunities. And in some areas, even access to stable internet remains a challenge. For this reason, a printed booklet becomes a practical and reliable format. At the same time, the visual structure allows for a more intuitive and immediate understanding of the concepts, while the use of both Arabic and English ensures accessibility across local and international contexts. The booklet simplifies key ideas without reducing their complexity, offering illustrative examples that help readers imagine how expressive arts can be used in practice.

Who was part of the project team, and how did the funding help?

The project was developed by myself, during my time as visiting researcher at the HfMT Hamburg, with support from collaborators in translation and graphic design. In addition, colleagues from UKE Hamburg working in the field of child and adolescent mental health provided valuable feedback to ensure the scientific accuracy of the content.

The funding played an essential role in enabling the project, particularly in covering the costs of professional graphic design and high-quality translation, as well as the printing of a limited number of copies.

How do you want to distribute the booklet in the future? Have you received any feedback yet?

The booklet will be distributed primarily in digital format to ensure accessibility for professionals and organisations working in Syria and related contexts. It will be shared with networks of NGOs and practitioners, including organisations such as GOPA-DERD and AKDN, as well as individuals working in education and psychosocial support.

In addition, a limited number of printed copies will be used in professional discussions, workshops, and small-scale activities. Initial feedback from colleagues in the field has been very positive, particularly regarding the clarity of the visual approach and its potential to introduce expressive arts methods in contexts where these approaches are still relatively unfamiliar.