The panelists 

The panel brought together four practitioners and researchers working at the intersection of art, trauma, and community building. The first is Maxine Salmon Cottreau (CRN), a project manager based in Berlin who works on mental health and resilience through non-formal education, bridging academic research with community practice. The second is Svitlana Zakrevska (UNAEDI), from Ukraine. She leads an organization dedicated to peacebuilding and mental health support, with a particular focus on the country’s more than two million internally displaced people. 
Bringing a research perspective, the third panelist Rosa Lisa Iannone (Douri), from the University of Luxembourg, turned to arts-based methodologies after realizing that traditional interviews could not fully capture the experiences of displaced people. Identity collages, she explained, became a powerful alternative, allowing participants to express what words often could not. Complementing this perspective, the fourth panelist Elżbieta Rojek (Dla Ziemi), who works in eastern Poland near the Ukrainian border, has spent years using movement, music, and visual arts to help refugees and migrants process their experiences while strengthening community connections. 

The Meaning of Silence 

Asked what exists between silence and expression, the speakers challenged common assumptions. Silence was described as a space for reflection, like still water before a ripple. Yet, for people affected by trauma, silence can also signal a frozen state rather than calm.  At the same time, silence can be protective. One speaker recalled workshops where participants worked quietly, completely absorbed in creative or physical activities. Instead of discomfort, silence became purposeful—a space where healing could begin. 

Creativity as a Language 

The panelists repeatedly emphasized that creative practices create opportunities for expression without forcing words. 
Svitlana Zakrevska (UNAEDI) shared that when internally displaced Ukrainians engaged in embroidery, drawing, or textile work, communication emerged naturally. Curiosity about one another’s creations gradually replaced traumatic silence. Creative activities also helped bridge divisions between host communities and refugees, as well as between eastern and western Ukrainians. Dancing and singing together proved especially powerful in breaking barriers and lifting spirits. Ela witnessed similar effects over many years. In a women’s workshop centered on singing traditional songs, one participant later told her the gatherings had saved her life. During a difficult period, the space to sing and share emotions became a vital source of support. 

Listening Beyond Words 

From a research perspective, Rosa Lisa Iannone (Douri), argued that conventional methods often overlook silence itself. Researchers are trained to interpret speech and visible expression, yet silence carries different meanings depending on culture, context, and personal experience. 
Art offers alternative ways of understanding. A single artwork or installation can evoke different emotions for different people—or even for the same person over time—making creative expression a richer language for experiences that words alone cannot capture. 

Working With Communities 

A recurring theme was the importance of working with communities rather than on them. 
Maxine Salmon Cottreau (CRN) acknowledged the tension between funders’ demand for measurable outcomes and the slower process of genuine empowerment. The objective is not only to deliver projects, but to give people tools they can use independently within their own communities. Svitlana Zakrevska (UNAEDI) stressed that organizations must also protect their values. Chasing every available grant risks turning NGOs into “factories of projects.” Fewer initiatives, aligned with a clear mission, ultimately have greater impact. 

Creating Safe Spaces 

Audience questions focused on how practitioners distinguish between chosen silence and silence rooted in trauma. The speakers agreed that safety begins by making participation optional and respecting boundaries from the outset. When people know they are free not to speak, they often become more willing to share. 
Facilitators also carry responsibility. While they are not therapists, they must recognize that artistic activities can uncover difficult emotions and therefore require preparation, sensitivity, and constant attention to participants’ needs. 

A Collective Responsibility

The discussion closed with a shared conviction: supporting people affected by trauma requires everyone—artists, researchers, funders, practitioners, and communities—to work together. No single voice is enough.
The panel showed that healing is neither simple nor immediate. It demands patience, creativity, sustainable support, and genuine partnership. Yet when people create together, silence can become connection, and trauma no longer has the final word.