Art Practices for Inclusion- for 18 Blind and partially sighted youths

BYAN started the new practice of learning inclusion and ways to ensure inclusion for persons with disabiliteis and other persons to include with persons with disabilities. We are very happy and are thankful for Snehadhara Foundation for this wonderful experience.

Overview of Arts Practices for Inclusion What is Arts Practices for Inclusion API is a first-of-its-kind course which looks at therapeutic practices and social inclusion through the arts. Based on Snehadhara’s experience in training over 60 Arts Based Therapy practitioners, a need was felt to design and implement a course that looks specifically at social inclusion through the Arts. API is a result of this vision and it facilitates the creation of inclusive spaces for children and adults with disabilities through student led projects. What does Arts Practices for Inclusion (API) focus on? API focusses on the development of practitioners as empathic, compassionate, present, boundaried, freedom-giving persons. Such persons touch the lives of others in a meaningful way – enabling those others opportunities to be a part of spaces, relationships and communities they may not otherwise have access to. API considers such contact to be therapeutic. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a new frame for integrated development- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs framework of 17 goals invite us to see health and wellbeing as a part of integrated development for not just human societies, but for the whole planet. In the context of mental health, there are indicators within Development framework for the promotion of mental wellbeing and prevention of mental distress. We need to work on both social conditions that place people at risk of developing psychosocial disabilities; and on creating support systems and institutionalized structures that address psychosocial health in an organic manner and in the context of the right to live in communities. Aim of course: Inclusion, Therapy and Arts

• Apply arts to facilitate social inclusion and its therapeutic benefits How can the aim be met?

• Arts enable expression

• Expression enables experience of inclusion

• Inclusion enables therapy

• Inclusion, therapy and the arts are three objectives of API practice Subjects in API

► Introduction to API – introducing basic concepts like art, inclusion, therapy, therapeutic relationship, API index.

► Introduction to Arts Practices – overview of art forms, their nature and application

► Music

► Community dance and movement

► Drama ► Play ► Visual arts ► Emotional and social domains

► Inclusion domain
► Circle of care – practices in daily life such as meditation, yoga, art journals, therapy

► Circle of care – personal domain – instructions about self-care in daily life
► Research, documentation and supervision

► Facilitation practice – how to facilitate sessions Diversity is the art of thinking independently together and The Arts is an experience that unifies this diversity. A for Arts, P for Practice and I for Inclusion constitute channelizing the arts in developing relationships by practicing the therapeutic benefits of creative arts with special needs populations to facilitate social inclusion. The basis of ‘Visual Arts’in therapy is its influence on  Imagination and Articulation  Creative abilities  Fine motor skills  Sensory integration  Patterns and Sequencing  Sitting tolerance and Attention System  Sense of time and place  Tolerance and Turn taking  Uniqueness and Risk Taking  Communication is not always about speech The basis of ‘Rhythm’in therapy is its influence on:  Motor-planning, coordination, learning and practice  Auditory integration and perception  Cognitive processing of patterns and sequences  Cortical Arousal  Group Interaction  Creative Expression  Neuro -immunology  Consciousness alteration

The basis of ‘Story Sharing, Theatre & Puppetry’ in therapy is its influence on:

► Spontaneity, Creativity & Language

► Emotions and No boundaries-expression

► Body Language and Communication

► Props & Visualizations

► Facial and Body expressions-Motor development

► Social Stories

► Puppets-Eye Contact-Attention Span

► Natural Responses over time

► Stories and Creation The basis of ‘Play’ in therapy is its influence on:

► Invitation to play- Respect, AOJ, Boundaries, sense of purposefulness and purposelessness

► Entering the Play space- Letting go, no inhibitions

► Here and Now- Involvement, Attention and Alertness, Experiencing novelty

► Possibilities- Exploring play space deeper (psychosocial), Connections or reflection of real life ( in roads and bridges), Witnessing Other people play

► Many dimensions simultaneously active –using voice,action, interaction, feelings, energy changes Through our Direct Care work at Snehadhara over the years, we found that not only did the children and adults with special needs benefit from the therapeutic application of the arts, but the mainstream populations also they interacted with found a wonderful new way of communication- i.e., by way of the arts. The video links shared will help you understand how we have worked with the arts to create therapeutic spaces. One needs to start with making a deliberate effort towards our participation in this process of Inclusion. Unless diversity is welcomed, and relationships are consciously nurtured, there will be little change in the educational experience of all. We invite you to lend a helping hand and be a part of the journey to fill the astronomical gap in basic services available for persons with disabilities. Join us, each step is indeed the next big step.