The Hockey/Art Alliance

Abstract

Ice hockey can be a violent sport as evidenced by the fighting among the members of an ice hockey team of 13-year-old boys from mixed racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Two series of eight art sessions were used to help the boys develop respect for themselves and others, to solve conflicts without combat, and to build more positive interpersonal relations. Through the art experience, the boys expressed their feelings and came to know one another in a more gentle and reflective way than on the ice and in the locker room. Their relationships with their coaches became more respectful as well. The coaches noted less fighting and more cooperation during practice and games, and the parents reported improved behavior at home as well. The Hockey/Art Alliance has been developed to be a model program that can be used by other groups in various settings.

Review of arts-based therapies for Canadian youth with lived experience of mental illness

“…Nonetheless, all the studies used in this article, whether assessed empirically or through narrative, reported successful outcomes in one or more settings (Fliegel, 2005;Lyshak-Stelzer et al, 2007). Positive results included mitigating the frequency and severity of clinical symptoms (Saunders & Saunders, 2000); improvements in social and cognitive functioning (Fliegel, 2005;Wadeson, 2006); and greater personal insight and meaning through the exploration of disruptive emotions (Frankl, 1967;Johnson, 1984;Moon, 1999).…”

“…The dynamics of the group regarding support, self-regulation and co-operation can provide additional value to the therapeutic process, with art activities used to initiate the start, navigate the process and mark the completion of group participation (Johns & Karterud, 2004;Wadeson, 2006). Changes due to new arrivals or discharges can alter the therapeutic setting (Lyshak-Stelzer et al, 2007) and may require individuals or groups to adjust their responses or stimulate additional selfreflection.…”

“…Behaviours and conditions that precipitate participation in arts-based therapy programmes include disruptive and aggressive conduct, bipolar and associated conditions and posttraumatic stress disorder (Fliegel, 2005;Lyshak-Stelzer et al, 2007;Wadeson, 2006). Given the range of research topics to date, it can be problematic to draw overall conclusions about the effectiveness of arts-based therapies (Harden, Rosales, & Greenfield, 2004;Reynolds, Nabors, & Quinlan, 2000).…”

Circle Justice: A Creative Arts Approach to Conflict Resolution in the Classroom

“…Art therapy has been used in conflict resolution education (Wadeson & Wirtz, 2005). According to Bush (1997), students who are supported through art therapy interventions often have better understandings of their challenges and greater ability to resolve problems.…”

Harriet Claire Wadeson (January 9, 1931, to January 26, 2016)

“…At another point she engaged in street theater, and later, in a community arts project-the Hockey/Art Alliance, helping previously hostile competitive groups of teenage hockey players to forge empathic relationships by creating buildings using carved wood pieces and glue (decorated with colored tissue paper and tiles) that were then combined to form a city (Wadeson & Wirtz, 2005).…”