This was indeed the idea presented by the Agency for Reconstruction and Development (ARD) to a Ministry of Education Art Therapy Workshop, which took place in July.

The three-day Workshop, conducted with 23 teachers from different educational levels throughout the Country, was held at the Westerhall Secondary School from July 11 to13. The ARD, through an experiential environment on the third day of the Workshop, provided participants with a better understanding of the therapeutic elements of art, and encouraged the implementation of similar processes in the classroom.

Ushered in with the beat of the drum, the Workshop encouraged teachers to explore different forms of artistic expressions in revealing their feelings and emotions.

“We need to experiment with different types of expression if we are to truly understand the different avenues that children use in expressing themselves,” said ARD Training Coordinator and Workshop facilitator, Dr. Lincoln douglas.

Dr. douglas stressed the importance of using different approaches to fully understand the complex minds of young people.

“It is only through a combined use of all expressive forms that children will be able to tell their messages better,” he told the participating teachers.

In expressing themselves, the teachers were encouraged to create collages of their feelings towards certain societal events, such as the upcoming 2007 Cricket World Cup. Additionally, they were encouraged to work together in groups, creating personality masks of their partners not just as a means of expressing themselves, but of truly understanding the expressions, feelings, desires and other psychological, emotional and mental components of their partners.

According to ARD Director of Social Recovery, Dr. Jennifer Holder Dolly, by learning to read others better, teachers would be better able to use art as a therapeutic tool in the classroom and truly address the needs and concerns of their students.

“When you engage children in art, you allow them to recreate themselves, the world and their circumstances as they see it, as well as validate their experiences, allowing them to cope with their situations better,” Dr. Holder Dolly explained.

The teachers agreed with these sentiments and expressed their willingness to introduce the use of art as a therapeutic tool into the curriculum.

“I’m impressed with the way in which what we’ve done today has allowed me to express myself in different ways. It forced me to explore my mind and I know that it will most definitely benefit my students and myself in better understanding them,” Ms. Louise Chichester, teacher of the St. Mary’s R.C school, said.

Proper methods of evaluating and grading art were amongst the few concerns expressed by the teachers in using the artistic medium.

Ending on a festive note, final touches were made to a Mural created by the teachers throughout the entire workshop. Additionally, covered in face masks, and moving to the beat of the drum, the teachers expressed themselves in dance at a masquerade ball. The ball was used to show just how easy it is for individuals to relax and be themselves when hidden behind objects; in this case, masks.

Art therapy is the use of various art forms such as drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, photography, and computer art for self expression and reflection in a therapeutic setting. It offers children a safe, developmentally appropriate way to communicate and develop strategies for coping.

This is not the first time that the ARD has encouraged the use of art as a therapeutic tool. The ARD Art Adventure, in 2005, provided an opportunity for children to express their feelings artistically following the traumatic experience of Hurricane Ivan. The drawings from the ARD Art Adventure were compiled into a 2006 Commemorative Calendar.