The Cleft Community Takes Our Breath Away at Art Impact for Health Bulgaria

Their smiles have always been a source of inspiration

Children painting a mural

On September 7, the picturesque town of Vratsa, Bulgaria, transformed into a canvas for Art Impact for Health, a celebration of the cleft community hosted by Smile Train and our local partner Association ALA.

A view of mountains and clouds from the event venue in Vratsa
Scenic Vratsa

Art Impact for Health is a multi-stakeholder initiative from the World Health Organization to support healing, communication, and improved psychosocial well-being for children with clefts. Led by artist, activist, and global health advocate Isabelle Wachsmuth, Art Impact for Health brings the UN’s Health for All initiative to life through engaging art and community activities.

Isabelle Wachsmuth flanked by women in traditional Bulgarian dress
Isabelle Wachsmuth (center) with women in traditional Bulgarian dress

In its first Bulgarian edition, the initiative brought medical teams, artists, patients, and families to Vratsa, one of the Balkans’ most stunning cities.

Inspiration was abundant as the smiles on participants’ faces at every session, including:

A child having his face painted like Spider-Man
A child having his face painted at Art Impact for Health Bulgaria

Face painting: Local face-painting artists invited participants to choose a character or theme, and the children lit with joy.

Collaborative painting: In this interactive workshop, Isabelle encouraged the children to unleash their imaginations and express themselves through paint. Brushes in hand, they turned the canvas into a vivid celebration of nature’s beauty and their own inner harmony.

Children painting
Children with clefts discovered their own fountains of creativity at Art Impact for Health

Surprise art: A resident artist helped the children reflect on their emotions and mix them with watercolors to create “surprise art  .” Expressing themselves together, in turn, opened participants to finding solace and understanding amongst one another. 

Embroidery: This gentle introduction to the world of thread and fabric invited attendees to replicate a traditional Bulgarian embroidery – a treasured touchstone of the national culture. 

Calligraphy: The calligrapher, a teenaged girl with a cleft, demonstrated various techniques for turning simple letters into works of art. 

Three teenaged boys with guitars
Proof that people with clefts rock

Musical instruments: Three older boys with clefts sat in a tent together strumming guitars, charging the event with joyful vibes, stirring their younger peers to think and feel and create in bold new ways. 

Participants making faces out of ceramics
These kids’ faces are a work of art

Ceramics: Four skilled ceramists taught participants how to mold figurines. Some chose to embrace their own experiences, crafting faces with clefts.

Two women dancing in traditional Bulgarian dress
Two women dancing in traditional Bulgarian dress

Dancing: To close out the event, two girls with clefts and their mothers brought everyone together for a traditional Bulgarian “horo” dance that also gave participants the opportunity to proudly show off their region’s traditional clothing.  

“Sharing fears, emotions, and dreams frees the mind and eases the process of creation,” said one young participant.

“What I liked the most about this event was the feeling of belonging, being a part of a community!” exclaimed another.

Dr. Youri Anastassov speaking at Art Impact for Health Bulgaria
Dr. Youri Anastassov addressing the crowd at Art Impact for Health Bulgaria. Behind him are Isabelle Wachsmuth and Grace Peters, Smile Train’s Program Manager for the US and Europe

“Each workshop enabled the participants to express themselves freely, share their stories, and foster a deep sense of belonging and well-being,” said Dr. Youri Anastassov, Head of the Plastic and Craniofacial Unit at the University of Plovdiv and co-founder of Association ALA.

All agreed that the day was a powerful, public example of the importance of creative outlets as vehicles for psychosocial support and community-building that can help individuals navigate challenges, enhance mental health, and embrace their unique stories.

Art Impact for Health participants stand before their finished collaborative painting project
Art Impact for Health participants stand before their finished collaborative painting project

“This painting is dedicated to the beautiful energy of Bulgaria and to the healing process of not only the children but also their families and healthcare professionals. In art therapy, green symbolizes hope and healing, making it a fitting choice for our collaborative work,” said Isabelle, showing off the verdant collaborative mural she and the participants created together.

A child approaches a young man holding a guitar with a pick
Art Impact for Health was an opportunity for children to boldly explore new forms of expression

Jana Angelova, Board Chairperson of Association ALA, left inspired, too. And hopeful. “Thanks to the collaboration between Smile Train and the World Health Organization, this event marked a significant milestone in Bulgaria, filling a gap where such psychosocial workshops are often absent. It brought together patients, families, healthcare professionals, and community members to celebrate resilience, creativity, and the transformative magic of art.”

You can bring healing, inspiration, and joy to children with clefts around the world today.