18th European Arts Therapies Conference

8-11 September 2026

PULA, CROATIA

ECArTE CONFERENCE 2026

18TH EUROPEAN ARTS THERAPIES CONFERENCE

8-11 SEPTEMBER 2026

PULA, CROATIA

Thanks to everyone who participated in the ECArTE conference in Pula Croatia

ITHACA – REPETITION AND RETURN IN THE ARTS THERAPIES

The conference theme is inspired by the poem Ithaca written in 1911 by the Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy. It is a poem which explores the idea of journey, using Homer’s Odyssey as an allegory. It speaks to notions of home and cycles of experience. It reflects on a journey of encounter – with places, creatures and states of being. Cavafy energises a call to adventure, offering images for internal and external struggle and playing with the paradox of destination.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Steph Brittain

Ben Haggarty

Salvo Pitruzzella

Steph Brittain and Ben Haggarty took us on a storytelling journey with Prasangs from the Odyssey, and Salvo Pitruzzella took us into the realm of the geometry of healing.

THE LOCATION

This ECArTE conference was held in the city of Pula, in Istria, Croatia. It is a place of rich history and is a crossroads for culture, commerce and art. Questions of repetition and return in the Balkan countries have a particular resonance in many aspects including transgenerational trauma. We were pleased to be working with the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek, University of Pula and the Croatian Art Therapy Association in organising this conference.

Find out more about the conference location here