The Hungarian Art Therapy Association has undertaken the task to organise

the First Art Therapy World Congress in Budapest.

This event will be unique in being the first comprehensive, international

and professional meeting on art therapy, as such a congress has never been

organised yet. The purpose of the 1st Art Therapy World Congress in spring

2003 is to lay the foundation for a new tradition, in the form of biennially

organized congresses.

The helping, promoting and curing power of art has been known by mankind

since art exists. These effects became categorised with professional names

because of the pragmatic mentality of the 19th and 20th centuries as art

therapy (precisely: fine art therapy), music therapy, dance therapy,

bibliotherapy, poetry therapy and many other forms and methods. The

preliminary condition of their integration into the professional world is

the integration into the educational system. It must be the task of the 21st

century’s history, if the art therapists want to keep abreast of the current

events.

Meetings and congresses are always important parts of the professional

development. In the fields of art therapy it is an essential step to create

international forums that will not only collect all the experts within

regional groups, as could be seen in many cases in the history of art

therapy, but it will also cover all kinds of art therapies and will have

guests from all continents. Besides being engaged to its scientific program

the congress undertakes to present artistic production, concerts,

exhibitions etc., referring to the fact that art plays a great role in the

receptive methods of art therapies.

Please find attached further background information about this congress, as

well as a call for papers (deadline 30 September 2002)….. (WM22-Annex 3)