Rwandan artist and art therapy coach Jean Claude Mbera is spearheading an ambitious initiative to establish an art therapy centre aimed at addressing mental health challenges in Rwanda.

The centre, estimated to cost over $3.5 million (more than Rwf 5 billion), will be built on a 10-hectare plot in Bigogwe, Nyabihu District, in the Western Province.

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Dubbed the Bigogwe Art Therapy Centre, the project seeks to use creative expression as a tool for healing, prevention, and community engagement, targeting diverse groups across society.

Mbera, the visionary behind the project, is himself a mental health survivor. He turned to art therapy after losing his pregnant wife and mother-in-law in a car accident in February 2024.

Inspired by his recovery journey, he developed the idea to help others facing mental health challenges through art therapy—an approach he credits for his own healing.

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"I could never have imagined that art therapy could help people overcome mental health challenges. When I met the American therapists, I realised the power of music, storytelling, and painting in my healing process,” he recalled.

Mbera told The New Times that art therapy has already demonstrated tangible impact during a pilot phase involving 30 participants.

"Art therapy is working. It is helping individuals,” he said, noting that the pilot helped identify effective approaches tailored to different groups.

He is currently in Chicago, where he has been invited to attend the National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT) Conference scheduled for April 15–19. During the event, he plans to launch a fundraising campaign to mobilise support for the project.

The initiative focuses not only on treatment but also on early intervention, using art as a preventive tool to address mental health challenges before they become severe.

Among its key strategies is the introduction of art therapy clubs in schools targeting youth aged 12 to 24. These clubs aim to create safe spaces where young people can express emotions and cope with issues such as depression and trauma linked to family or social pressures.

"The goal is to engage people early, before conditions become severe, and adapt art therapy to different environments and life situations,” Mbera explained.

Beyond schools, the programme will also target non-academic groups through both individual and group sessions, including families dealing with pre-marital, marital, and post-marital challenges.

It will further extend to individuals affected by major life events such as loss, violence, and financial hardship, with outreach conducted through community structures including churches, workplaces, and correctional facilities.

According to Mbera, one of the key strengths of art therapy lies in its ability to break barriers around mental health discussions.

Through exhibitions, live performances, storytelling sessions, and community art programmes, the initiative aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and demonstrate how creative expression can support emotional healing and connection.

"We are creating a platform where people can openly engage, heal, and support one another. This is about building a movement around mental health,” he said.

The project is also working with professional art therapists and other experts to develop structured and replicable models that can be scaled across communities, making support more accessible.

The Facility

Construction of the Bigogwe Art Therapy Centre is expected to begin in November, with phase one estimated at $3.5 million.

Once complete, the three-storey facility will accommodate around 500 residential beneficiaries at a time, in addition to hosting a similar number of participants across various therapy programmes.

The centre will implement seven art therapy approaches simultaneously, enabling it to reach a wide range of people while addressing diverse mental health needs.

The lower level will feature seven dedicated therapy rooms, offering services such as music therapy, writing, storytelling, painting, reading and listening sessions, drawing, and nature-based therapy. The facility will also include a healing garden.

Its design draws inspiration from the traditional Igisabo—a cultural symbol of care, protection, and respect—reflecting the vision of a safe and stigma-free environment for healing.

In the long term, the initiative aims to reduce reliance on clinical mental health interventions by promoting prevention and early support at the community level.

"Our goal is that by 2030 and beyond, through prevention and early support, we will significantly reduce the number of people who require clinical mental health care,” Mbera said.

"The target is to have at least an art mental health center in every province.”

To ensure accessibility, services under the programme will be offered free of charge for students, supporting early intervention among young people.