On August 29, 2025, the university's Centre for Contemporary Art hosted a unique art therapy event called “My Voice in Colour”, aimed at a deep search for self, the expression of hidden emotions, and the restoration of inner harmony through the visualisation of sounds and music.
Olena Ostrohliad, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts, and Maryna Teslenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of Poltava Polytechnic, moderated the event.
The “My Voice in Colour” art therapeutic practice was based on the psychological concept that music and sound are powerful channels for accessing deep layers of the psyche and emotions. For people who have experienced trauma and often struggle to verbalise their feelings, this method allows them to express hidden emotions without words, through colour and form. Participants had the opportunity to reconnect with their “self” through their favourite music as a tool for self-discovery and to find inner harmony by transforming sound vibrations into visual images. This also helped overcome feelings of isolation, allowing for shared personal experiences within the group, yet non-verbal.
For the session, each participant was provided with a sheet of paper and a wide selection of art materials. Key elements included audio systems playing music, as well as the option to use personal devices with headphones for complete immersion in a personal sound space. The task was to create a “musical portrait” – a visual representation of their emotions, associations, and memories evoked by a favourite melody or song.
The event began with a warm welcome and a brief introductory talk, during which Maryna Teslenko and Olena Ostrohliad discussed the deep connection between music and emotions. Participants were invited to delve into their memories and choose one song that held special meaning. The choices were very diverse – from classical to rock, from folk songs to modern electronic music, underscoring the profoundly personal nature of this stage.
After choosing a song, participants put on headphones. The room fell silent, broken only by the rustle of paper and the sounds of art materials. The task was to “paint the music”, translating auditory sensations into visual images. The movements varied: from sharp and dynamic to slow and fluid. For example, one participant, to the sounds of classical music, created a delicate, ethereal drawing with soft colour transitions, symbolising peace. Another participant, listening to a favourite rock track, created a dynamic, chaotic composition with sharp lines that expressed anger and energy. Many used paints to reflect the depth of emotions, and markers to highlight important moments or words from the song.
After completing the creative work, each participant had the opportunity to share their “musical portrait” with the group. They explained why they chose that particular song and what the colours and shapes in their drawing meant. One girl, showing her drawing, explained that it was a song she listened to while in a bomb shelter, and the bright spot on the drawing represented her unextinguished hope. Everyone present listened to the stories with deep respect and empathy. This stage was incredibly emotional – sometimes tears appeared, but more often smiles, symbolising a powerful experience of unity and solidarity.
The art therapy practice “My Voice in Colour” proved highly effective in providing psychological support to participants. It allowed for deep catharsis and the expression of hidden emotions through nonverbal channels, helping restore a connection to their identity and find inner harmony. The practice also helped overcome feelings of isolation by sharing deeply personal experiences with the group. The creation of a visual “anchor” serves as a reminder of their emotional states and resources, and also develops self-awareness and introspection skills.
The event was held as part of the international, large-scale EU-funded Erasmus+ KA220-ADU project “TRUST” – Trauma of refugees in Europe: An approach through art therapy as a solidarity program for Ukraine war victims (Grant No. 2024-BE01-KA220-ADU-000257527).
The project title is decoded as follows:
TRUST
T – Trauma
R – Refugees
U – Ukraine
S – Solidarity
T – Therapy
The project is co-funded by the EU and led by the Centre Neuro Psychiatrique St-Martin from Belgium, in partnership with the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” (Ukraine), Greek Carers Network EPIONI (Greece), Fondazione Don Luigi Di Liegro (Italy), Lekama Foundation (Luxembourg), EuroPlural Project (Portugal).
We express our sincere gratitude to our partners for their invaluable support, which makes it possible to implement such vitally important initiatives that bring the light of hope and healing to those who need it most.
It is worth noting that Poltava Polytechnic lecturers are eligible to participate in academic mobility and internship programs. Students can study abroad through Erasmus+ credit academic mobility grant programs for a semester or a full academic year at leading universities in Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greenland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and the Czech Republic.
For more detailed information regarding current internship, teaching, and academic mobility programs abroad, please get in touch with the International Relations Department (office 213-C, interoffice@nupp.edu.ua) or the International Relations Coordinator of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” – Ph.D. in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation, Anna Pavelieva (email: kunsite.zi@gmail.com, phone: +38-(095)-91-08-192).
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National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
