Development of a Creative Arts Therapies Center for People With Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

The Centre for the Arts in Human Development in Montreal has provided art, drama, music, and dance/movement therapies to adults with developmental disabilities for over 10 years with the goals of developing and enhancing self-esteem, social skills, and communication abilities. This report describes the development and purpose of the center, sustainability challenges, and efforts made to create community both within the center and with the community at large. Recommendations are made for intiating creative arts therapies centers in other locales.

Child-centered expressive arts and play therapy: School groups for at-risk adolescent girls.

“…One benefit of expressive arts therapy is that the art process provides alternative channels for communication that might have otherwise remained unknown, as the art allows for unconscious feelings or unknown stories to surface and be processed at the client's pace. The use of art can address areas in which the client may need to work, but cannot verbally express, perhaps due to denial or lack of language skills (Lister, Tanguay, Snow, & D'Amico, 2009). From a child centered perspective, the focus is never on the product, but the individual and group process.…”

Learning from support workers: Can a dramatherapy group offer a community provision to support changes in care for people with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties?

“…These subgroups, that of the facilitators, the support staff and the people attending with learning disabilities, are important in offering a secure base of belonging within the environment through further commonality. As Lister et al () state, people often feel comfortable with a group of people that they are similar to and have something in common with. The subgroups serve people to feel they belong to a set of people whom they can relate to which enables them to feel valued within the group and develops a person's self‐concept.…”

“…The subgroups serve people to feel they belong to a set of people whom they can relate to which enables them to feel valued within the group and develops a person's self‐concept. “Fitting in” and knowing we are accepted within a group and within a population is important for people's self‐worth (Lister et al, ).…”

“…Furthermore, as Faigin and Stein () discuss, theatre and storytelling with marginalised groups can offer empowerment, as personal stories are shared safely using a nondirect approach. Theatre and drama “fosters a sense of belonging” (p. 37, Lister, Tanguay, Snow, & D'Amico, ) and the use of role‐play facilitating a connection with the reality of a situation, as though you are in that situation (Ramsden & Guarnieri, ). “This physicalized knowing and being within a dramatic representation of a problem or issue makes a crucial difference to the verbal recounting or description of a client's material” (Jones, , p. 113).…”

Rozwijanie kompetencji kulturalnych dorosłych osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną – projekt naukowy „Kulturalni w Toruniu”

“…2010;Michaluk 2011;Pieszak 2012) czy turystyce (Kaganek, Stanuch 2005;Chojnacki 2007;Preisler 2011;Furmanek 2011;Zajadacz 2012;Furmanek 2014;Vila, Darcy, González 2015). Znikoma liczba opracowań poświęcona jest natomiast partycypacji w kulturze (Żuraw 1996;Candlin 2003;Poria, Reichel, Brandt 2009;Rhoads 2009;Lister, Tanguay, Snow, D'Amico 2009;Nowak 2015). Prezentowane rozważania dotyczą przede wszystkim osób z niepełnosprawnością fizyczną czy sensoryczną.…”