KidsCreate Initiative

Every child should start a day with a smile, let’s light up as many smiles as we can! 

“Kids Create” is a charitable initiative put in motion by the swiss artistic community. 

In today’s world we aim to do everything in our power to help and protect the most precious there is - our children.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include:

• Combat exposure
• Childhood physical abuse
• Sexual violence
• Physical assault
• Being threatened with a weapon
• An accident

At the moment KidsCreate focuses on refugee children, as they have lived through true horror, something no one in the 21st century should ever have experienced and no sane person thought possible. Yet it has happened and the world as these kids knew it stopped existing…

It’s understandable that erasing the events of the last weeks from their memory is not something we can do. 

What we can do is bring Art into their lives. It is scientifically proven that art in any form helps process PTSD. We aim to once again light up the smiles on their faces and try to make the world a better place through Art. 

Today we have over 30 artists in Basel, Bern and Zürich.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to:

• Marcel Zumstein and Zumstein stores for providing us with art supplies and offering us their ateliers in Zürich, Basel and Bern. And also to Stefan Hässig, Fanny Hochstrasser and Karin Niklaus for their help and assistance. 
• Goleo Swiss and personally Yulia Khilko and Anna Leshkova for their generous donation of art supplies.

• Ekaterina Rubsova and her gallery Artcave Zürich for allowing our artists to use the gallery space for art classes for the children.

• Lemady Rochard and Storycraft Studio Ruschlikon for allowing our artists to use the studio for art classes for the children.

The classes are already up and running since April 3rd 2022.

~ Elena Kupreeva, 

founder and curator of KidsCreate Initiative