ART vs REHAB: Focus Group Series: June 2012
Date uploaded: April 30, 2012
ART vs REHAB:
Focus Group Series: June 2012
ART vs REHAB is a series of focus groups on key themes affecting the relationship between art and rehabilitation. This initiative is a catalyst for criticality and change in the field, based on the principles of open innovation and collaborative practice.
The groups will stimulate knowledge exchange between artists, practitioners, therapists, academics, service users, funders and commissioners.
Each focus group will generate a series of recommendations, provocations, tools and exercises that can be used to strengthen the relationship between art and rehabilitation and improve arts provision for vulnerable groups.
To ensure in-depth dialogue each focus group will be limited to ten participants, carefully selected to represent a different facet of the theme. Participants will collaboratively design the format for the session via the application form, each contributing their own angle on the theme.
The findings of the focus groups will be available online and promoted nationally, with all contributions fully credited.
Who can apply? You can apply to be part of a focus group if you are artist, practitioner, therapist, academic, service user, service provider, funder or commissioner working within addiction, the criminal justice system, homelessness, mental health or prevention.
How to apply: Go to www.ArtvsRehab.com for full details and the application form.
Deadline for applications: Midnight on Wednesday 23 May 2012.
Where and when: The focus groups will take place at various locations in London during June 2012. Exact dates and times for each focus group can be found at www.ArtvsRehab.com.
(Non-London based participants on low income can request a contribution towards travel costs. Childcare contributions are also available.)
Who’s behind this initiative?
This initiative was conceived by Hannah Hull and is supported by Arts Council England, TCCE (The Culture Capital Exchange), ICCE (Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths) and C4CC (The Centre for Creative Collaboration).
Background information...
Hannah Hull studied BA Fine Art and PGCert Innovation in Practice at Goldsmiths, University of London. Through her socially-engaged art practice she became aware of the need to innovate and strengthen the relationship between art and rehabilitation:
“A key obstacle to innovating this field is the diverse routes from which people enter it. Numerous professional qualifications lead into this field, and, as with much of the third sector, unqualified volunteers are essential to maintaining services. As there is no standard route to - or site of - rehabilitative art activity, it is difficult to innovate via policy or training.
“This diversity has lead to communication issues: logistical difficulties in disseminating to the entire field, and linguistic difficulties in producing information that is understood by all.
“Another key issue is that the use of evaluation to prove results and maintain funding – rather than as a vehicle to improve practice – has caused a lack of criticality. A culture of optimism within the field - where criticality is seen as the opposite of inclusion - has also contributed to this.
“As such, autonomous, cross-disciplinary discussion can be seen as key to innovating the rehabilitative arts. These focus groups will provide a platform for critical thinking that will generate the shared language and tools that can be understood and applied by all.”
How were the themes selected?
The six themes of the proposed focus groups emerged from a seminar held at the Centre for Creative Collaboration in October 2010. 50 people attended, including individuals from: NHS, BBC Arts, Mind, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Lankelly Chase Foundation, CALMzine, University of Arts Magazine, CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency), Artsdepot, Queen Mary’s, Goldsmiths, Look Ahead, The Camden Society, The Bluecoat, BPP Law School, Bath Spa University, London Borough of Lambeth and Studio Upstairs.
Contact...
Hannah Hull
[email protected]
+44 (0) 79 3252 8888
Download ARTvsREHAB eFLYER.pdf(201 KB)
