Children Action
A long-standing commitment
Founded in 1994, Children Action has been committed to young people’s mental health from the outset. In 1995, the foundation supported a symposium in Geneva dedicated to the prevention of adolescent suicide, a subject that was still largely taboo at the time.
One year later, in partnership with the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), it contributed to the creation of MALATAVIE, a care and prevention programme for young people aged 13 to 25 experiencing psychological distress. Its approach combines inpatient and outpatient care, prevention, and a helpline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This experience later inspired the development of LIFE in Zurich, which opened in 2022 in collaboration with the University Psychiatric Clinic Zurich, providing specialised care for young people in crisis.
Over the years, Children Action has also developed prevention initiatives designed to reach young people and the wider public beyond healthcare settings. In 2017, the exhibition MAL À TA VIE entered the public space through seven former telephone booths transformed by artists, inviting visitors to listen, express themselves and open up dialogue around youth suicide. In 2021, Ado-Les-Sens, a temporary 180 m² interactive museum installed in Parc La Grange in Geneva, offered a sensory journey exploring emotions, identity, signs of distress and available sources of support.
This commitment to building bridges between mental health, art and culture is also reflected in Artopie, a pilot project developed with HUG from 2018 to 2021. It introduced culture and cultural mediation into care pathways, creating new connections between the hospital and the wider community.
In Zurich, this approach continues with art.in, developed around LIFE in collaboration with Kunsthaus Zürich. Art becomes a way of connecting with young people differently, encouraging expression and addressing questions related to mental health beyond the clinical setting.
These experiences have led to a clear conviction: supporting young people’s mental health cannot rely on care alone. We also need to create spaces in which people can question, feel, understand and engage in dialogue in different ways.
Muséevirtuel.ch is part of this ongoing journey. Open to everyone, it explores issues related to young people’s mental health through art, images and interactive experiences. It invites visitors to question perceptions, open up dialogue and look at mental well-being from a different perspective.
Museum Committee
The Museum Committee brings together mental health experts, culture and art professionals, committed young people and partners, united by the same ambition: to make art a lever for dialogue and awareness around young people's mental health. Its role is to support the development of the museum, guide its actions and ensure the relevance of its content in order to make it an inclusive, innovative and impactful space for exchange."
A venir
Position / Role
Describe the team member here. Write a brief description of their role and responsibilities.
A venir
Position / Role
Describe the team member here. Write a brief description of their role and responsibilities.
A venir
Position / Role
Describe the team member here. Write a brief description of their role and responsibilities.
A venir
Position / Role
Describe the team member here. Write a brief description of their role and responsibilities.