Event
IFPPP Has Returned for a Fourth Year and There are Smiles Every Where!
The International Festival Of Pediatric Patients Painting Has Returned For a 4th Year, Featuring Top Selected Artwork From Pediatric Patients and Children All Over the World. The Events are Held in Public Places, Universities, Children’s Cultural Centers and Most Often Children’s Hospitals.
The International Festival of Pediatric Patients Painting has returned for a fourth year, featuring the top selected artwork from pediatric patients and children all over the world. The events are held in public places, universities, children’s cultural centers and most often children’s hospitals. Local coordinators are no one but physicians, nurses and teacher who are in any kind, helping with children’s mental health, pediatric patients on top! In celebration of the fourth week of the 4th IFPPP festivals being held in Tehran, Gorgan and Kermanshah, in Iran, Maria Magdalina Children Hospital in Saint Petersburg, Istanbul, Šilutė in Lithuania, Bearcelona, and 30 other cities worldwide, I sat down with Professor Nima Rezaei for a quick talk about the 4th IFPPP, and latest news on the "HEART" group.
Q: First things first! What news with HEART?
NR: We are planning a joint event with Tehran Municipality, TUMS and USERN in less than two weeks. The World Mental Health Week, starting from 10th October will bring us all together to hold "International Village of Arts and Games: Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World", in the "Mellat Park" of Tehran.
- And what would the festival be like?
NR: We haven’t decided on the shape and ingredients of the festival, but there would definitely be several artwork stations and game stops for children, music performance by HEART and charity sale in favour of children’s mental health. We are really excited about this first ever outdoor festival of HEART and working hard to make a good first impression too.
Q: The HEART is pursuing a lot these days, the IFPPP, the music band, the festival. How do these all make sound to you?
NR: It may seem a cocktail of events and works but it is all in line with the same fortune. We are a group of volunteers with different backgrounds, from medicine to music and from painting to handicrafts and when a proposal is set forward by one of the members it is taken for granted and into consideration, providing it is in favour of children’s mental health. This is above and beyond a cultural or art move. HEART is a social movement to bring awareness to mental health of children and those who are most in need of mental support: pediatric patients.
- So you consider this a mobilizing effort rather than a charity?
NR: Exactly! This is why we remain active and moving forward all the time. It takes a willpower to run an international annual festival like this [the IFPPP], not to mention to all the organizational efforts that has to be made for the closing ceremony and awarding festival. We indeed remain on the run because this is not our ultimate goal. Art is a tool to bring the motility and liveliness to lives of children. Art for children is a way to express emotions -as it is for us adults- and music is another way of expression. We are very much hopeful that the Art and Game festival would do the same, in a public effort.
Q: What would the 4th IFPPP closing festival be like this year?
NR: The host is, as has been announced, the beautiful Reggio Calabria, a picturesque ancient city in Southern Italy and the date is on November 10th, the closing day of USERN Prize Festival as well. The festival will, as always, offer prizes for the 12 artists in each age category, children who have travelled all the way to receive their prize as IFPPP laureates and be one of the jury member for the festival in 2019. Sponsored by the European School of Genetics in Medicine there will be music and art performance arranged as well. We have problems with visa and accommodation of children and their parents but hopefully they’ll get resolved.
- Great! Thanks for all the details and your time. Anything you would like to sum up?
NR: I would like to take a moment and thank all my friends in HEART, who have worked selflessly to make everything happen. We look forward to meet you all, October 10-12, Mehr 18-20 at the Mellat Park of Tehran at the "Art and Games of Nations Festival".
- Sep 28th 2018, Tehran, USERN Central Office