Creativity, Connection, and Healing: The World Art Therapy Festival 2025 in Prague
The World Art Therapy Festival 2025 turned Prague into a vibrant hub of creativity, reflection, and inspiration. Organized by the MAUT Association in collaboration with our C-IN team, the event took place from 26–28 September 2025 at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU) – a venue that perfectly reflected the festival’s artistic spirit and dynamic energy.
The festival brought together 46 presenters, 16 keynote speakers, 26 workshops, 34 presentations, and 3 plenary sessions, offering a rich program spanning five core themes – from self-awareness and communication to stress management, psychosomatics, and the balance between presence and virtuality.
When Art Meets Innovation
As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, our team introduced AI-powered live translation through the Wordly application – allowing participants to enjoy seamless interpretation between English, Czech, and Slovak. Delegates could simply scan a QR code, select their preferred language, and follow the live transcription and audio in real time, both on personal devices and large on-site screens. This pioneering feature ensured accessibility and inclusivity throughout all sessions, reflecting our dedication to staying at the forefront of event technology.
We also enhanced accessibility through the festival’s multilingual website (arttherapyfestival.org), featuring automatic translation into multiple languages to reach a truly global audience.
A Celebration of Art Therapies and Global Connection
The World Art Therapy Festival stood out as a unique convergence of education and creativity, bridging the professional and artistic worlds. Participants from diverse backgrounds – art therapists, psychologists, educators, healthcare professionals, students, and families – gathered to explore the transformative power of art therapies in all their forms.
The program offered a rich blend of lectures, workshops, and creative practice demonstrations, complemented by special children’s art therapy sessions that invited parents and grandparents to join their little ones in dance, drama, and music workshops full of laughter, play, and creative exploration.
Engagement, Media, and Design Excellence
The event achieved strong online engagement, with an active social media campaign across Instagram and Facebook, where participants and presenters shared personal reflections and festival highlights.
In the lead-up to the event, the festival also gained notable media attention, including interviews with PaedDr. Mgr. Marie Beníčková, Ph.D., DT, President of MAUT, across Czech Television, Czech Radio, and major online platforms. These appearances helped raise awareness of art therapies and underscored the Czech Republic’s growing international recognition in the field.
A defining feature of the festival was its visual identity, designed by our talented colleague Illia Volkhin. The concept received widespread praise from both organizers and attendees for its originality and ability to capture the event’s emotional and artistic essence.
Moments of Connection
Beyond the professional program, the festival offered memorable social gatherings – from the Welcome Drink at HAMU, to the Gala Evening and Award Ceremony featuring performances by the Václav Choir and Akademie Alternativa Choir, and the Networking Dinner at the atmospheric Malostranská beseda. These moments provided the perfect setting for participants to unwind, connect, and celebrate creativity in all its forms.
The World Art Therapy Festival 2025 beautifully illustrated how art therapies transcend borders and disciplines, bringing people together through shared creativity and compassion. It was a celebration not only of professional excellence, but also of humanity, healing, and joy — values that continue to inspire our work at C-IN.
C-IN Team
Professional Congress Organizer
Follow us on social media:
🌍 Facebook
📸 Instagram
💼 LinkedIn
🐦 X (Twitter)