Challenges

To inspire your team's projects during the hackathon, we've prepared several challenges you can choose to tackle:

Anxiety, Depression & Stress Among Youth

Emotional disorders are quite common among adolescents. Anxiety disorders—like panic attacks or excessive worrying—are the most frequent in this age group, especially among older teens compared to younger ones. Around 4.4% of 10–14-year-olds and 5.5% of 15–19-year-olds are estimated to experience some form of anxiety. Depression also affects young people, with about 1.4% of those aged 10–14 and 3.5% of 15–19-year-olds experiencing it. Anxiety and depression share many symptoms, such as sudden and intense mood changes.

These conditions can have a big impact on school attendance and performance. Social withdrawal often increases feelings of isolation and loneliness. Depression can sometimes lead to suicide, which is sadly one of the leading causes of death for people aged 10 to 24.

Overall, about 14% of young people face mental health challenges, with emotional and behavioral disorders being the most common.

Adolescence and early adulthood are crucial times of rapid physical, mental, and emotional development. During these years, young people are especially sensitive to their surroundings—things like poverty, violence, and abuse can make mental health struggles much worse.

Some groups of young people are at higher risk, including those who are neurodivergent or live with disabilities or neurological conditions.

Other vulnerable groups include pregnant teens, those who have faced early or forced marriage, and young people who experience stigma, exclusion, or discrimination because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or social identity.

Solution:

Create creative tools and methods—like arts, design, digital storytelling, music, performance, and visual media—to help young people better understand and manage anxiety and stress. These tools should also support building resilience, developing coping strategies, and expressing emotions in ways that feel safe, non-judgmental, and empowering.

Access to arts and culture isn’t just a luxury—it’s essential for health. When young people engage in creative expression, they gain valuable ways to process difficult emotions, strengthen their sense of identity, and build meaningful social connections.

For youth with developmental or neurological differences, art can be a powerful form of non-verbal communication, improving their overall quality of life and helping them connect with others. Activities like painting, playing music, or dancing stimulate parts of the brain linked to reward, resilience, and memory. These experiences can boost mental flexibility and emotional balance, especially for young people who have faced trauma or hardship.

Finally, arts and culture projects can spark important community conversations about mental health, helping to build more supportive environments for youth facing these challenges.

Ageing Population & Social Isolation

Challenge:

As people get older, they often face challenges like loneliness, cognitive decline, and reduced physical mobility. Many also experience feelings of being left out, low self-esteem, a lack of social connection, and confidence issues. Research shows that about 7.0% to 3.8% of older adults worldwide face these kinds of challenges.

These difficulties can sometimes lead to depression, which is often treated with antidepressants or therapy. However, older adults are more likely to experience side effects from these treatments, and the high costs can make access difficult.

On the positive side, taking part in artistic activities—such as performing and visual arts, literature, culture, digital media, and film—has been proven to improve mental health, encourage social connections, and boost overall quality of life for seniors. By including arts in health programs, we can create more holistic approaches to support older adults. Studies also show that creative activities help with emotional balance, reduce feelings of isolation, and build self-esteem and confidence.

Solution:

Create a low-barrier, replicable arts-and-health intervention that helps older adults live more connected, expressive, and fulfilling lives.

Burnout and Mental Health at the Workplace

Challenge:

Burnout is becoming a common problem across many fields, especially in high-pressure areas like healthcare, education, social services, and the cultural and creative industries. Studies show that about 75% of people experience burnout at some point.

Burnout can cause physical and emotional exhaustion, lower productivity and job performance, increase absenteeism and staff turnover, reduce overall job satisfaction, and create feelings of unfairness at work. Over time, it can also lead to serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or a loss of connection to one’s sense of purpose.

While many workplaces offer basic or reactive mental health support—such as access to therapists—few provide proactive and creative solutions that help employees process their emotions, reflect on their roles, and develop lasting coping strategies.

Solution:

Reflective creative sessions, writing, or visual storytelling projects to provide space for processing emotions and rebuilding resilience.