Session 5 – 12th April – 11.30 – 12.30
Presenter: Kate D’Lima
Organisation; Department of Adult Continuing Education, University of WalesSwansea
Summary:
The arts often have the ability to reach people who are furthest away from active citizenship and participation in learning activities. Creative writing, which is currently undergoing a popularity boom in universities, can be an effective way to help reintegrate people into learning environments. This workshop will provide an opportunity to experience some creative writing in a relaxed environment before focusing on some recent research into the best methods and integration of creative writing in health settings.
Kate D’Lima will present the findings of a year-long research project undertaken in 2004, which involved delivering four creative writing courses in a mental health resource centre; a drug and alcohol unit; a palliative care setting, and to health practitioners and educators. Courses were taught as an art form rather than a therapy. At the end of the ten-week courses, participants were interviewed to discover their experiences and qualitative research methods were used to analyse results. The aim of the project was to assess the benefits and best methods for integration of creative writing in health settings and a document of Recommendations for Best Practice was produced as part of the final report. The project was funded by The Arts Council of Wales and The Arts and Humanities Research Board and supervised by The Department of Adult Continuing Education and School of Health Science, University of Wales Swansea.
Among the dominant themes to emerge from the research were increased self-confidence, which was attributed to being able to present sometimes negative experiences in the written or oral form and have a genuinely interested audience. Trust and empathy with others was another dominant theme, which helped reduce barriers to inclusion in similar educational initiatives. ‘New ways of seeing’ was another theme and a recurring statement from participants, who found they gained new perspectives through writing about experience. The implications of the research for widening participation will be the focus of discussion in this workshop.