Mental Health as a Common Good: Tarot Workshop

Public participation—whether digital or in-person—tends to focus on a very limited profile: adults, generally white, older, and middle class. This restricts which voices are heard and whose experiences shape policies, especially when it comes to youth mental health.

To challenge this dynamic, we are launching a unique workshop titled “Mental Health as a Common Good: Tarot Workshop”, which combines artistic expression with civic technology to open new spaces where young people can influence mental health policy.

What is this workshop about?

Inspired by the ongoing Mindset Revolution project—which connects young people affected by mental health challenges in Manchester and Barcelona through the civic tech platform Decidim—this tarot workshop invites participants to collaboratively create a tarot deck centered on the concept of mental health as a common good.

The cards don’t focus on traditional treatments or services. Instead, they explore the complex social, political, and technological dimensions that shape mental health—from housing precarity and migration to climate anxiety and digital pressures—all viewed through the lived experiences of young people.

How does tarot fit in?

Tarot is a powerful storytelling tool that brings abstract themes to life through archetypes and symbols. Participants will design cards that tell stories about challenges such as climate anxiety, housing insecurity, migration, digital extraction, and political violence—and what it means to reclaim mental health as a common good.

This creative process fosters empathy, reflection, and critical dialogue—essential ingredients for truly transformative public participation.