Art and health
February 2017
Edmundo Dos Santos, SOI member, worked on emotional expression with students of St Joseph’s School, Kumbalangi. A circle “of the self” was drawn and filled with figures representing emotions. Following this, the children connected their circles to each other’s , creating a sense of togetherness and community.
This was followed by an excercise of finger painting to connect colours to emotions.
January 2017
Art Therapist Edmundo Dos Santos from Barcelona, Spain works at Aster Hospital to help children with cancer. Using art materials and objects used to treat cancer patients (tubes, syringes etc), Santos works with children to help find emotional healing.This project is in collaboration with SOI.
3rd, 4th December 2016
Women Empowerment Workshop with SOI member Edmundo Santos
The day and a half workshop designed specifically to help women unlock their creative powers and become more self-sufficient saw great change and empowerment in them. The workshop involved symbolic understanding of a woman’s life in terms of relationships, desires and needs. Letting go of negatives to a more happy and secure life were the core points of the workshop. Edmundo used art and creative movement for the process.
November 2016
Workshop and Presentation at Gems International School
TAOS, along with Artist Edmundo, organised an introductory workshop at Gems International School on November 14. The event revolved around understanding relationships, expression and the concept of free thinking.
Edmundo asked the students and teachers to sit in groups and together, draw a concept they decided. Using this concept, they expressed an emotion connected to it and put up a mini- theatrical presentation.
For his presentation for the teachers, Edmundo explained how he helps teachers understand themselves and the children they deal with. This introduction to his work aimed to help educators understand how art expressive therapy can help them perform better.
20th, 21st September 2016
Creative Movement Therapy
Volunteer Susheela Pai worked with the (slum) children of Udhaya Colony in Kochi, to help them find emotional healing through movement. A trained classical dancer and creative movement therapist, Susheela spend the first workshop in ice- breaking exercises to help the participants ( aged 12 and up) to feel comfortable with the group and to get in touch with their emotions. The second day of the workshop saw therapy where participants had to use body movements followed by hand movements. Divided into groups, these children learnt how to express their emotions through movement to each other and by themselves (emotions such as anger, hate, happiness, joy).
The Art Expressive Therapy Workshop in collaboration with Street Heroes of India (SOI)
Andrea Tabernero used visual art to help participants get in touch with their true self. With details of a psychological framework made by clinical psychologist Saisha Partiman, Tabernero devised methods for participants to express their emotions in a gradual wave- from their negative emotions that helped understand the root of their trauma and pain which and later, the positive emotions. This workshop aimed to enable individuals to heal past experiences that have hindered them from leading fulfilling lives and realize the real focus of their emotions.
