Social Work Artfully: Beyond Borders and Boundaries , by Christina Sinding and Hazel Barnes (Eds.) (original) (raw)

Visual and Theatre Arts and Community Development

Common to community development and social work processes and art (drawing , painting, collage, sculpture) are opportunities to express emotions, thoughts, memories and ideas. Yet the recognition and nurturing of a symbiotic relationship between the two professions to build the psychosocial supports that could enhance the quality of life of our clients has not become a mainstream agenda. The arts for a long time have remained at the periphery of community development and social work processes. While the profession of social work provides coping, resilience and active hope (Pulla, 2013; Pulla & Riggs, 2013), forms of art would assist in regenerating purpose, rejuvenating life processes and uplifting the affective domain of our client systems. Arts-centred community building is inherently complex because it involves other community sectors such as social services, community development and public safety. This chapter utilises autoethnography (Chase, 2013) in its methodology, combined with critical arts-based critical inquiry (Finley, 2013).

Exploring the concept of social art through a single session art activity with asylum seekers

The Arts in Psychotherapy

This paper describes a single-session Social Art intervention with a group of Eritrean migrant detainees in Israel during which they described their journey and created messages to the hegemonic Israeli society. The paper describes the protocol of the puzzle art intervention. It then presents the central themes within the asylum seekers' art that include remembering home, the traumatic journey, arriving in Israel, and pleas to have empathy and to enable them to be free rather than imprison them. The aim of this case study is theoretical, using the case study to describe the characteristics and mechanisms of Social Arts (SA) as manifested in this activity. It shows how a SA orientation integrates the dual areas of psychological and also social agency. This is discussed as a complex theoretical challenge as well as an advantage. This paper hopes to illuminate the complexity of elements of SA as a specific and under-researched direction within art therapy. The descriptive arts activity also provides a protocol for using arts in similar shared reality group and community contexts. Social Art (SA) is a somewhat undefined concept that describes grassroots, bottom-up innovative practices that focus on the social gains of art as manifested in both the process and products of the art activity (Robertson, Rogers, & Leask, 2009). SA has been broadly defined as symbolic interaction and self-expression within communities, aiming to give voice to silenced groups, humanize institutions, address stress, and advocate social change to name a few. It can be defined as a multidisciplinary area that intersects with the fields of fine art, art therapy, community work, and creative geography (Huss, 2012). SA has a broad definition of arts based on different cultural contexts that can include crafts, ritual, performance, and community interaction. It can aim to enhance resilience and coherence of the individual, family, group, community, or civic engagement, and also enhances communication between communities of different culture and power levels (Huss,

Journey Women: Art therapy in a decolonizing framework of practice

This paper presents the integration of art therapy in a decolonizing framework of practice used in a project called "Journey Women". This framework of practice seeks to recognize and deconstruct the impacts of colonization and discrimination of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and to empower and inform people in their healing journey. "Journey Women" was an art exhibit of large-scale "body-map" images depicting the healing experiences of eight Aboriginal women, created in a three-day arts-based workshop. The collaborative research project between Minwaashin Lodge and Concordia University aimed to gain an understanding of the conditions that contribute or challenge Aboriginal women in their process of healing from violence and the impacts of violence. This paper describes the process of creating body-maps that integrated an art therapy framework with traditional Aboriginal ceremonies of prayer, smudging, drumming, and singing as well as movement and grounding activities, poetry, and art creation. In this article, we discuss how a public exhibit of body-maps acted as a powerful medium of empowerment, a forum for women to be witnessed by the community, and a means for Aboriginal women to act as their own agents of social change and social justice.

ART BEYOND BORDERS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY

This research combines qualitatively based ethnographic methods with contemporary urban anthropological theory in order to analyze how art has been conducive to the economic and cultural development of Hillcrest, a community in the center of San Diego, California. This area, which is known as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, is also known for its numerous artistic and cultural events and activities. The goal of this research is to investigate this phenomenon and its effects on surrounding areas. The first stage of the project involves social mapping, the analysis of historical and demographic data, and the collection of initial ethnographic data through personal interviews with artists and venue operators. Preliminary results indicate that while Census data delineate clear geographic boundaries, the social borders of the community are not nearly as static, and in fact are continually changing and affecting surrounding areas. Social mapping and cultural analysis of these borders and overlapping communities provide glimpses into the development patterns of an ideologically-based, minority community, as well as how information is exchanged between the LGBT community and outlying areas. These kinds of data can be used to predict future urban growth patterns, as well as how minority communities develop cohesive networks and economies. Furthermore, studying how art works as an expression and indicator of urban growth and development may enable us to better understand how the cultivation of theater and other arts can be actively used to improve or transform a particular area.

Making Fires: Rethinking creative arts therapies practice in South Africa

Abstract With loss and trauma abundantly present in contemporary South Africa, arts based psychosocial interventions for children affected by trauma are increasing. However, exactly what the creative arts therapies have to offer in the context of South Africa’s contemporary social realities and shifting identities is not immediately obvious. How to attain this social justice agenda whilst maintaining professional integrity and preserving the knowledge and skill base of the creative arts therapies in an African context is the focus of this paper. As an illustrative example, a group based model (the Firemaker Program), aimed at skilling care workers to use creative arts skills in their work in psychosocial support of vulnerable children is examined. It is argued that this program provides a model demonstrating that the creative arts therapies can adapt creatively and collaborate across disciplines and practices to pursue a social justice agenda. Key Words: South Africa, psycho-social, arts therapy, social justice, professional development, reflexive praxis