Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

This proposed project endeavors to transfer knowledge and techniques of art therapy (Use of Art, UoA) for helping professionals from Hong Kong (HK) and Kuala Lumpur (KL), in enhancing psychosocial rehabilitation for their service users. The project provides UoA training to trainees (e.g. social workers, nurses, psychologists, art educators), for facilitating the use of visual art to enhance wellbeing of their service users, i.e. the UoA participants. The trainees will implement 4 UoA activities in group setting that target the challenges of the UoA participants. Artworks created and selected by the UoA participants will be displayed in art exhibits to give voice to these individuals. The training team comprises artists, art psychotherapists, university educators, and researchers. Qualitative research methods with art-based inquiry are adopted. Outcome measures are applied respectively to the project trainees, to measure change in professional efficacy before/after UoA training, and the UoA participants, to measure change in self-efficacy, resilience, and positive/negative emotion before/after UoA activities. Focus groups will be conducted to all project participants at the completion of all UoA activities. Quantitative data, and artworks will be analyzed and compared across HK and KL. This project advocates art as an alternative, supplementary medicine. It emphasizes artistic expression, empowerment, and social stigma elimination. The training for multidisciplinary helping professionals promotes sustainable development of UoA in various professions. The research components provide facts to the therapeutic use of art and help build the theoretical underpinnings of art therapy for clinical treatment.