4ArTs

The idea of an ‘arts therapies student conference’ was conceived by Anna von Butler and Cettina Francella in 2005, during an ECArTE[1] conference in Crete/Greece.  During this conference, some students amongst which Anna and Cettina, created a student discussion forum with the hope to give students a space to voice their thoughts, feelings and ideas about arts therapies.  As a result, arts therapies students from all over the world engaged in fruitful dialogues with their peers about their future profession, how it is practiced and perceived by others, as well as their ideas and visions for it.

The main topics of discussion evolved around the diverse application of arts therapies around the world, job prospects, the dual role/nature of the arts therapist (therapist and artist) and the interplay of theoretical framework and creative work when with a client.  This sharing of ideas, hopes, fears and wishes left the participants wanting more and thus the idea of an international student arts therapies conference was created with the logo ’for students by students’.

During the first 7 fruitfull years of 4ArTS The initiating students, Dries Booten, Carolina Alejos and Diana Kayafa stayed on as 4ArTS boardmembers, organising the conference every year and/or supporting new students to keep the fire of 4ArTS burning through out Europe. It is thanks to them that 4ArTS now is the beautiful international network of arts therapy students and young arts therapists that we know today.