The Art of Becoming: Building Youth Identity, Resilience and Wellbeing Through Expressive Arts

This project addresses Hong Kong’s escalating youth mental health crisis by targeting early intervention at the critical Secondary 1 transition. It supports 180 students in underresourced schools through a year-long, expressive arts-based programme combining a two-day therapeutic immersion with ongoing student-led initiatives. The approach engages “invisible” at-risk youth, strengthens social connection, and reduces reliance on digital coping. Grounded in clinical expertise and aligned with the EDB 4Rs framework, the programme aims to improve emotional wellbeing, resilience, and help-seeking behaviours. With robust evaluation and strategic partnerships, it is designed for scalability, sustainability, and long-term integration into school systems.