The Centre for Lifelong Learning invites you to participate in a 4-day programme Creative Arts: Skills Workshop for Personal & Professional Enhancement from March 07-10, 2017 from 10.00 am - 5.00 pm at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai.

The workshop will offer participants an opportunity to gain hands-on experience of a range of simple visual art techniques that can be used in personal life and professional practice to enhance creativity, engage in a process of self discovery and growth and develop self confidence.

Emphasis will be given to developing new skills and offering a practical introduction to the very positive benefits that are gained through the experience of creative processes.

The Workshop will be conducted by Ms. Liz Kemp who is an artist by profession and has almost forty years of engaging Art Skills for Development.

Workshop Fee: Rs. 5,000.00 (inclusive of all workshop material & hospitality)

Venue: TISS, Mumbai (Main Campus, Room No. 12)

Registration: Download Form

Dr. Sabiha Vasi
Assisstant Professor,
Centre for Lifelong Learning, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai 400088

For Further Details and Registration Contact:

CLL Secretariat :

Mr. Ritesh Vaity (ritesh.vaity@tiss.edu)

Ms. Veena Shinde (veena.shinde@tiss.edu)

Tel No: 022 - 2552 5682

Rationale

Expressive Therapies or Creative Therapies as the name suggests refers to a cluster of techniques that are creative and expressive in nature. The aim of these therapies is to find a form of expression beyond words or traditional psychotherapy. Therefore, the scope of creative therapy is as limitless as the imagination in finding appropriate modes of expression. Art therapy, dance/movement therapy and music therapy, play therapy and journaling therapy are the most commonly used and supported forms of expressive therapies.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the creative arts therapies are firmly established as an important part of complementary medicine for psychological and physiologic illnesses. The arts therapies are present in every facet of medical practice in hospitals, hospices, other health care institutions, and private practice. Art, dance, and music therapy, as they now are practiced, were formally organized in the twentieth century. Before that time, art, dance, and music played an informal although continuous role in eastern and western medicine. Through the centuries, the healing nature of these creative therapies has been primarily reported in anecdotes that describe a way of restoring wholeness to a person struggling with either mind or body illness. Since the 1950s, however, there has been a trend toward descriptive and experimental research in all three fields . Although art, dance, and music therapy are present in all areas of health care, the literature presently shows relatively few strictly controlled research studies.

Art

Art has the potential to change lives and in profound ways. When words are not enough, we turn to images and symbols to tell our stories. And in telling our stories through art, we can find a path to health and wellness, emotional reparation, recovery, and ultimately, transformation.

The purpose of art like other expressive methods is to improve or maintain mental health and emotional well-being. Art making is seen as an opportunity to express oneself imaginatively, authentically, and spontaneously, an experience that, over time, can lead to personal fulfillment and growth. This view also holds that the creative process, in and of itself, can be a health-enhancing and growth producing experience. (Expressive Therapies [2005])

Although art therapists have generated many specific definitions of art therapy, most of them fall into one of two general categories. The first involves a belief in the inherent healing power of the creative process of art making. This view embraces the idea that the process of making art is therapeutic; this process is sometimes referred to as art as therapy. Art making is seen as an opportunity to express oneself imaginatively, authentically, and spontaneously, an experience that, over time, can lead to personal fulfillment, emotional reparation, and transformation.

The second definition of art therapy is based on the idea that art is a means of symbolic communication. This approach, often referred to as art psychotherapy, emphasizes the products--drawings, paintings, and other art expressions--as helpful in communicating issues, emotions, and conflicts. The art image becomes significant in enhancing verbal exchange between the person and the therapist and in achieving insight; resolving conflicts; solving problems; and formulating new perceptions that in turn lead to positive changes, growth, and healing. In reality, art as therapy and art psychotherapy are used together in varying degrees. In other words, both the idea that art making can be a healing process and that art products communicate information relevant to therapy are important.

In the light of the above it evident that in current times a combination of conventional interventions along with alternative approaches are being utilised to promote health and well-being as well as build capacities of people. The application of creative methods as facilitative tools in the process of healing and life enrichment is a growing field of practice.

Hence this workshop is being proposed as a starting point to give fillip to such efforts and offer opportunities to those in people-oriented professions to integrate these into their work practice. The workshop is also put forth in the spirit of the Vision of the Centre for Lifelong Learning which is to provide opportunities to adult learners to maximise their potential and capacities for contributing meaningfully as citizens to create a society that promotes and protects the values of dignity, equity, social justice and human rights.

Participants will have hands-on experience of a range of simple visual art techniques that can be used in personal life and professional practice to enhance creativity, provide opportunities for self discovery and growth and develop self confidence. Emphasis will be given to developing new skills and offering a practical introduction to the very positive benefits that are gained through the experience of creative processes.

Objectives

By the end of the Workshop the particpants will be able to :

• Explore and identify the benefits and applications of Art as a creative tool for facilitating personal and professional development as well as promoting an optimal quality of life
• Start developing the confidence to utilise these creative methods for personal transformation and professional enhancement

Download Workshop Schedule