On 8th and 9th March 2022 Elistat partners met in Bitonto, Italy, for the second transnational meeting of the partnership, hosted by Sinergia s.c.s., and attended by all the project partners: Ankara Provincial Directorate of Family Social Policies, Asociatia de Therapye Familiala si de Cuplu Timisoara, E-Seniors: Initiation Des Seniors Aux Ntic Association, Uniao Das Freguesias De Gondomar (Scosme) Valbom E Jovim, Inspira Education Informatics Industry and Trade Ltd. st., and Karabuk University.

During the meeting the consortium had the opportunity to check the status of the implementation of the project workplan, to reflect about the results of the training needs analysis carried out during the first project phase and to validate its report.

These data have been very relevant for the definition of the Curriculum that the partners are designing to train operators about the use of art therapy with isolated seniors. It will be formed by 5 Modules focused on the knowledge and skills about art therapy and its application, the different methods and model sessions, and its specific applications to deal with trauma, anxiety and other overwhelming emotions.

The benefits of arts, non formal education and art therapy are evident to work with elderly, especially considering the effects that their isolation during the pandemic caused and the need to overcome seniors social isolation and loneliness.

The partners had also the opportunity to discuss about the next project steps: when the Curriculum and its modules will be ready the project staff will be trained in a transnational training for in Karabük, Turkey, in order to be ready to implement a local piloting based on art therapy applications with seniors in each involved country.