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What's in this issue
President's Welcome
Conference Review
• Swoosh, Trickle, Sputsput, Ebb, Flow...
• The conference keynotes
• The ANZATA AGM
News in Brief
Features:
• ANZJAT
• The Red Pencil – Bringing the power of arts therapy to Lebanon
Reports from ANZATA Regional Groups
Noticeboard
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The end of the year is almost upon us and it is hard to believe how fast 2015 has passed by. Things have been very busy in the world of arts therapy in our regions as this full and informative newsletter attests to.
Our conference in Adelaide
Our first joint conference with ACATA, which was held in Adelaide was a resounding success, and was very well attended with over 160 delegates. Although the committee has yet to receive a report of the evaluation from the conference organisers, the initial feedback was wholly positive. All feedback will be considered when planning future conferences and symposia. Thanks must go to the tireless organising committee and volunteers as well as to the membership for supporting this first joint conference of our associations.
Our thanks also go to ACATA committee and membership for helping to make this conference possible. Without such support, it would not have been feasible to have a conference in South Australia as we have so few members there compared to other states, territories and countries, given that as yet there has been no masters level art(s) therapy training there. Thanks must also go to IKON Institute for the use of their offices prior to, and during the conference, and their spaces for the well attended masterclasses with our keynote speakers, Dr Lynn Kapitan and Dr Sue Jennings.
The conference was introduced with a ‘Welcome to Country’ by Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien, a Kaurna Elder. The New Zealand contingent responded to this welcome with a mihi (thank you speech) by delegate Anaru Marshall, followed by a group wiata (Maori song). Dr Lynn Kapitan gave the first keynote address with a thoughtful and relevant presentation which included some experiential elements. Her themes of the 'ecotone', connectivity, diversity and the necessity and benefits of disruption, were complemented by Dr Sue Jennings’ address, with her presentation on the importance of creative expression, the reduction of power differentials and empowerment. Both speakers gave the implicit message of the need for connectivity, the vital nature of social circuitry and the need to be committed to a larger vision. This applies to our work as practitioners within the community and our own community of practice in which arts therapists can learn from our diversity, and the territories in which we overlap.
Both Lynn and Sue were very generous with their time over the four days of the conference and masterclasses with both keynotes contributing towards the positive and supportive atmosphere that I certainly felt over the weekend.
Arts therapy educators meeting
Of significant note was that for the first time, program directors of all higher education and training institutions of arts therapy programs attended the conference. In the spirit of inclusivity, program directors met over Saturday lunch, albeit only for a short get together. During that time, there was an opportunity for trainers to put faces to names, to network and to briefly discuss issues that connect a professional association to training, practice and research. From this meeting, the ANZATA training standards subcommittee can develop the dialogue surrounding some of the topics of discussion.
The ‘why two arts therapy associations?’ forum
The Saturday afternoon forum titled, ‘why two arts therapy associations?’ was well attended by delegates. The symbolic mock wedding highlighted the hypothetical culmination of a conversation between the two associations that began with the Birds of a Feather Summit (2011), and the Birds of a Feather: Taking Flight Forum 2013. While the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in Singapore in 2014 is current the conversation regarding the development of closer ties needs to continue. Visitor Lynn Kapitan attended the forum and expressed her disappointment that various art/s therapy associations in the United States had not been able to achieve collaboration, and that the cooperation she was seeing between our associations was a rare occurrence that needs to be nurtured and encouraged. Both ANZATA and ACATA committees are now aligned with the same Code of Conduct, and are working co-operatively on supervision training standards, and the implementation of a register of supervisors.
It is worth noting that a few years ago, organisations such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) were engaged in lobbying for similar provider numbers after the Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiatives was introduced by the Australian federal government in November 2006. As two separate organisations, PACFA and ACA were ineffective at lobbying federal government for access to a provider number that would allow counsellors and psychotherapists to be part of the government initiative. Obviously, there were other factors such as levels of qualification and political and economic influences, nevertheless, in recent years both organisations have started to work collaboratively and it is clear that acting together they are experiencing more influence and lobbying power.
ANZATA AGM
The vote of approval by the members at our AGM to contract a project manager will assist ANZATA towards a strategic vision for the next five years. It is hoped this contract position will help the ANZATA committee to develop the MOU, garner membership perspectives about arts therapists’ core values and elicit the best way forward for the healthy development of the association. At the AGM our WA representative, Claire Guild stepped down and Jennifer Jamieson has stepped into this role. We thank both of them for their contribution. Amanda Levey (previously Vice-president) has now taken on the Secretary role, Janet McLeod (previously Secretary) has become Treasurer, while Adrian Lania (previously Treasurer) is now the Vice-president. All other committee members remain unchanged. A summary of the AGM can be found later in this newsletter, and the full minutes will be available on the website.
ANZJAT
The tenth edition of the ANZJAT journal needs heralding in this newsletter. It is a major achievement and milestone, and is a wonderful and diverse edition. You can read more about this edition later in this newsletter. There were a couple of small printing errors in the editorial which was a disappointment to the editorial team and remedying this has caused some delays in distribution. The online version is correct and members and individuals who have received a copy of the journal will also receive the corrected page when their attendance certificates are emailed to them.
As the year closes, I would like to wish you a peaceful and happy festive season and best wishes for 2016. Our committee and subcommittees are dedicated to working towards the safety of the public, the diverse arts therapy community and the development of our profession in the Asia Pacific region.
Jo Kelly – ANZATA President
Photo (above): Delegates at the ‘Where the Sand meets the Sea’ Conference in Adelaide.
Photo (below): The 2016 ANZATA Committee – from left: Jo Kelly, Amanda Levey, Pearlyn Lee (in front), Kirsten Meyer, San Leenstra, Adrian Lania, Janet McLeod, Jen Jamieson.
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Adelaide Conference Review
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Clockwise from top left: Keynotes Lynn Kapitan and Sue Jennings; the fabulous team of invaluable volunteers; Lynn Kapitan delivering her keynote presentation; Jen Jamieson and Manuela Macri enthralled; The two presidents – Nyrelle Bade and Jo Kelly; and the 1 million stars to end violence project.
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Swoosh, Trickle, Sputsput, Ebb, Flow
 Where the Sand Meets the Sea
Written with gratitude for Lynn Kapitan’s ‘Arts Therapies in the Ecotone: Contact, Collaboration and Creative Entanglement’ conference keynote address
Swoosh, trickle, sputsput, ebb, flow.
What happens where sand and sea meet? Do they decide they don’t like each other, only to end this encounter? Does the sand lose its sense of self as the sea rushes in? Does the sea sacrifice its watery essence? I’m no scientist, but it seems the constant contact leads to elemental connection, interdependence, change and aliveness. Sand and sea affect each other, yet do not forgo their individual integrity.
In September, 2015, we SAAT (Sydney Area Arts Therapists) members are invited to create an artwork about our regional group experience, to be displayed at the upcoming conference.
I close my eyes. An image appears – a sort of onion/bulb/flower in warm orange hues. I recall hearing that ‘saad’, pronounced ‘saat’, is the South African word for seed. I paint the flower. A seed sits sumptuously in the centre.
There are two sides, similar, yet distinct.
What might the two SAAT sides/forces/petals be?
heart and head
experiential and academic
expressive art-making and lecture-format presentation
sharing stories of arts therapy at the coalface and discussing readings
practice and theory
internal and external
valuing the expertise of group members and of outside presenters
building connections within our community and promoting arts therapies out in the world
art as therapy and art in therapy
visual art therapy and other creative arts therapy modalities
artist backgrounds and health practitioner backgrounds
UWS-trained art therapists and those with other training/experience
those employed as arts therapists and those who are not
In SAAT’s recent past, I perceive ecological tension between apparent dualities. I perceive we have been consciously and unconsciously working with these apparent dualities as best we can.
I continue painting. A third entity unfurls from the meeting of the two sides. The third entity, born of the coming together of two ‘parent’ petals, is still forming, washy, yet has a discernible heart-like shape. It is a being-in-becoming.
Swoosh, trickle, sputsput, ebb, flow.
The ecotone is defined as the transition area between two biological communities. I dare to say that this is where we work and live as arts therapists, as SAAT members – in the uncertainty, spontaneity, risk; bringing together clearly or blurrily defined entities that affect each other in ways as yet unknown.
Do sand and sea combine and merge? Do they collide and separate? Are they, as Lynn Kapitan suggests, in constant inter-animation, two ecologies in tension producing a third thing?
There is life at the ecotone – vibrant, scary life amidst the sandstorm and seaspray. Listen to it – sshkksshh – LIFE.
Through the act of writing this piece, I’ve further deepened into a knowing of the ecotone. (There’s the power of creative process for you). I recognise that the ecotone is not the edge of substance where the cliff drops away to nothingness. It is not about floating on the periphery. The shore is not an absence, but a place of presence, of ‘both/and’, rather than ‘neither/nor’. I see a glimmer of an empowering narrative for my professional self, for SAAT, for arts therapists. Could it be that where we may have seen ourselves as marginal or marginalised, we are right in the centre of the action?
What might this mean for our future?
Who knows what will be born in the ecotone.
Photos:
SAATflower by Sally
Arts Therapists in the Eco(toe)ne – Amanda Levey, Jo Kelly, Romny Vandoros, Sally Swain
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The conference keynotes
We were extremely fortunate to welcome two eminent arts therapists into our midst to be our keynote speakers, Dr Lynn Kapitan (USA) and Dr Sue Jennings (UK). When each of them were invited they were asked to keep in mind: our theme; that we were members of two arts therapy organisations forging closer ties by co-hosting a conference together; and that we wished for some experiential elements in their presentations. They both rose to these challenges beautifully.
Lynn built her talk around the concept of the 'ecotone', which she explained is a term used in ecology to describe the buffer between two different ecologies: so a perfect example of this is 'where the sand meets the sea'. She pointed that at the ecotone, there can be conflict and tension at the overlaps and the transitions, and that ultimately a third thing can be created. She introduced a movement experiential, where each row of delegates was designated either 'ocean' or 'river'. One row turned to face the other, and then both did the movements and sounds of their body of water in relation to each other. The feedback afterwards was profound: one member commented that she had to find a way to stay true to her own movement and sound while also being in relation to the 'other'; others commented that indeed a new third thing was developed within the meeting of movement and sound.
Lynn argued that as humans we are embedded in a fast moving and complex terrain, and that we become strengthened through hybrid forms. She talked about how practitioners, academics and organisations can acts as silos and she illustrated this with an image of the island that is the capital of the Maldives, which appears so crowded and dense that there is no room for growth. She called for a paradigm shift where as arts therapists we become highly situated and extensively connected, with the capacity to assimilate, internalise and access complex networks of information and skills. She talked about the notion that we should be 'indivisible', that is, committed to keeping the profession intact no matter what the variability within it.
Sue started her talk by asking us to think of ourselves as beachcombers, and pointing out that the space between sea and sand can be messy and contain conflicts and paradoxes. She argued that as therapists we need to be able to hold chaos and allow order and meaning to emerge. She had us making paper planes and then divided the room into the 'triune' brain model: reptilian (survival), mammalian (emotions) and human (higher thinking). She had us each write a message on our paper plane in accordance with which part of the brain we were representing, and then fly it across the room! There was chaos and then there was order as we formed triads representing each brain level. Sue challenged the assumption that civilisation is built on language, she claimed that we are born dramatised and we learn through play. As someone who connects the worlds of dramatherapy and play therapy in the UK, she has a great belief in the power of that extensive connectedness that Lynn advocates.
Both speakers gave us models and frameworks that are invaluable as resources in order to reflect about ourselves, our work, our clients, our organisations, and our profession. All through the conference and since I have been aware of the profound influence they both had on me and feel deeply grateful.
Amanda Levey – ANZATA Secretary
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The ANZATA AGM
The AGM was held during an extended lunchtime on the second day of the conference. It was very well attended, with 55 voting members present, and 10 proxies. There were a large number of motions to get through in the timeframe, and this was challenging, particularly regarding the motions that were more complex and controversial. The motion that annual membership scholarship be created named in honour of Patti Holden to be offered to any long-standing member who is in financial or life hardship, was passed. In the past members on a limited income have been able to apply for the 'Professional (Unemployed)' category with evidence of their pension/benefit. This did not allow for other reasons to be temporarily not working, such as maternity leave. A motion was passed that this category will now be known as 'Professional (concession)'.
The revised code of conduct was approved as a binding document and is to be revised at a minimum of every five years. There was discussion regarding the approval of the new supervision guidelines document regarding some of the content, which was brought in as policy at the 2013 AGM and incorporated into the new document. The motion was withdrawn due to lack of time to come to resolution. A motion regarding the development of a supervisors register was passed after some minor amendments.
A motion was put to establish a tiered level of membership based on qualification authority levels. Our current membership structure only has 'Professional' which requires masters level, or 'Associate' for which no art/s therapy training at all is required. A tiered level of membership would mean that ANZATA could have the capacity to acknowledge graduates of the many undergraduate art/s therapy training courses that have developed in recent years. A vigorous debate took place about the levels proposed, and ultimately the motion was amended that a working party be formed to conduct a review of levels of membership.
All other motions that were proposed were passed with large majorities. Jo Kelly thanked Claire Guild of WA for her contribution to the ANZATA Committee as she stands down. New committee member from WA Jennifer Jamieson was welcomed. Jo thanked the committee and announced the following changes to the executive: Vice President: Adrian Lania, Treasurer: Janet McLeod, Secretary: Amanda Levey. The full minutes are available on the website.
Amanda Levey – ANZATA Secretary
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Two paid positions available working for ANZATA
Part-time Administrator
Four years ago the ANZATA committee recognised the need to create a dedicated 'enquiries/admin' position to handle the increasing amount of work in this area. Sydney-based art therapist Liz Fitzgerald was selected for the role and has ably supported the committee and the association in this position. She has recently resigned from this role and is generously holding the position until we find her replacement. The position requires good communication skills as well as some experience in data management and be able to work from one's own base. Click below for the full job description and application process.
Part-time Project/Change Manager
The ANZATA Committee have identified the need to appoint an appropriate person to create a five year plan for the future growth of the Association. This person will need to have skills in the areas of not-for-profit associations, strategic planning, SWOT analysis and legal and constitutional matters and be strong in communication and self-reliance and be able to work from one's own base. Click below for the full job description and application process.
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Allied Health
ANZATA has been accepted as a member organisation of the Allied Health Professions Association (AHPA) which is great news. Visit their website to see what other organisations are members – www.ahpa.com.au. The Victorian Allied Health held a forum on the Tuesday after the Adelaide conference, and although ANZATA received an invitation, none of our committee was able to go. Fortunately Nyrelle Bade (president of ACATA) was able to attend and represented us there.
David Lescai, the Chief Policy Officer of AHPA, is keen that ANZATA keeps in contact and contributes input as the Victorian allied health strategy is developed. Every member organisation of AHPA is able to nominate a Director onto the Board. The Board is large, collaborative and apparently it works well. It meets monthly and its purpose is to share information which is of interest and benefit to allied health. ANZATA committee member Kirsten Meyer has agreed to be our representative on the Board and she attended their eleventh annual conference held Melbourne 9-11 November.
In an interesting parallel, Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand has invited ANZATA to be considered to become a member organisation. You can visit their website – www.alliedhealth.org.nz. At the recent AGM, members voted to join and to fund a committee member to attend quarterly meetings in Wellington.
The ANZATA committee sees great value in joining associations of allied health professionals in order to have a collective and therefore stronger voice in advocating for our profession with governments and health agencies.
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Sandplay therapist Judy Zappacosta to come to Auckland
World-renowned US sandplay therapist and teacher Judy Zappacosta is coming to Auckland in February next year. She will give a workshop and a masterclass on Saturday 20 February and then a full day group supervision session on Sunday 21 February.
Judy Zappacosta is a certified sandplay teacher and a member of Sandplay Therapists of America (STA) and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy (ISST). She has maintained a private practice in Santa Cruz, California, for 30 years. The focus of her practice is Jungian psychotherapy, sandplay, dreams, and the integration of psyche and soma. She consults and supervises therapists using sandplay, and has published and taught both nationally and internationally. Her latest publication is Pearls: Defining Moments in our Lives (2014). Judy completed the BodySoul Rhythms® Leadership Training Program with the Marion Woodman Foundation in 2003. She teaches summer programs abroad for Caring for the Soul offering two week intensives for sandplay training in Switzerland which integrate sandplay, dreams, and body awareness.
For more information about these workshops and to register, please go to www.sandplayaotearoa.co.nz
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Sometimes the unexpected happens
Rod was my first voice recording; it took me a year to find a man who had breast cancer. As I drove away from meeting him I realised the purpose of my artwork.
I had been collecting scarves as remnants of experience: the scarves people wore during chemotherapy for breast cancer. After listening to Rod I changed the way I considered creating my artwork for my Honours in Fine Art. The number of scarves became significant: I would create a bright blue beanie to exhibit with 124 scarves. Rod suggested a man would wear a beanie to cover his bald head. The blue beanie hopefully will stand out as different in the sea of scarves, the 1 in 125 diagnosed with breast cancer that is male.
There will also be a soundscape of voices: the stories of experience that give a real picture of the disease. The marginalised, forgotten or untold stories: those who were told they were too young, those who did not consider they could get breast cancer, those who are still living with disability from treatment. It is by sharing these stories that I hope to create an understanding and empathy.
I am not a therapist; I am an artist who has experienced breast cancer and wishes to create work that may open up a dialogue about breast cancer. I see an art therapist and she suggested that I shared the vision of my work to ask if anyone can assist with my scarf collection. I have about half of the scarves that I need, but would appreciate any donations of scarves from breast cancer patients. If you have any clients who would be interested in participating in my project they may contact me at: aly-baker@hotmail.com. I also have a Facebook page – Breasts and Chests for anyone wishing to follow the progress of my project which I hope to complete in October 2016 on the Gold Coast.
Alyson Baker
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ANZJAT – the latest edition is out!
 The latest edition of ANZJAT was launched at the Adelaide Conference last month and was very well received. This edition marks ten years of ANZATA's journal and we are particularly pleased with this longer than usual celebration of arts therapy research and creativity.
This edition features five articles: Lynn Kapitan’s keynote address from Singapore last year; an exploration of a creative project at a hospice by Catherine Bell; a study of using sandtray work with adult trauma clients by Garjana Kosanke, Brigitte Puls and Jackie Feather; Debi Green’s exploration of her experiences with fiction-based research; and Julia Pasifull-Oh’s account of response art with a dying patient and her family.
There are two interviews: Toril Pursell talking to inaugural ANZJAT editor Joy Schmidt about her long association with the journal; and ANZATA president Jo Kelly talking to preeminent art therapist Cathy Malchiodi while she was in Australia.
We are very excited about the nine creative contributions that have been published this year. They showcase a diversity and a maturity and we are sure our readers will enjoy reading and looking at the imagery in the reflections and creative compositions.
Three books about arts therapy were reviewed: The introductory guide to art therapy: Experiential teaching and learning for students and practitioners, by Susan Hogan and Annette M Coulter; Multicultural family art therapy, edited by Christine Kerr; and Anna Halprin: Dance – Process – Form, by Gabriele Wittmann, Ursula Schorn, Ronit Land.
The edition is introduced by the two editorial pieces by editors Toril Pursell and Sheridan Linnell, and ANZATA president Jo Kelly. We are sure that you will find it all an interesting read.
This year ANZJAT was printed in Melbourne. Due to a printing pre-press oversight, a small error occurred in the editorial in the printed journals when launched. The problem has now been rectified and we will be posting them out shortly. We apologise for the delay and thank you for your patience. If you have not received your copy by Christmas, please contact Jill at journal@anzata.org.
This latest edition is now also online. Members can access all the full articles by logging in as a member and going to the ANZJAT section of the website. Non-members can access all the abstracts and can sign up as an ANZJAT subscriber if they want to read more.
Changes to the editorial team
Next year there will be changes to the editorial team. Co-editor Toril Pursell is stepping down from the role. Toril has worked tirelessly on the last four editions of ANZJAT and we would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to her for all her work. We wish her well in her future pursuits.
Review editor Tania Blomfield is also stepping down and we would also like to thank her for her work on this latest edition.
As such, we are now calling for expressions of interest in two roles – joint or assistant editor (depending on experience) and review editor. If you have enthusiasm for ANZJAT and arts therapy research and meet the recommended skills and experience for the roles, we encourage you to send in your resumé.
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Bringing the power of arts therapy to Lebanon
Singapore, 2015 – As the war and chaos rages on in Syria and Iraq, one particular group of volunteers were quietly packing their bags as they made their way to Lebanon, not far from the war zones in the Middle East. The country borders with Syria to the North and East where thousands of refugees stream in from the war-torn country to Lebanon to seek a better life.
A mission to heal the hearts in Lebanon – Meet the team from The Red Pencil, an international humanitarian foundation advocating Arts Therapy that has offices located in Singapore and Geneva. The team consisted of seven international art therapists including the charity’s founder Laurence and three volunteers. Their goal and mission for travelling to Lebanon? To help the refugees find solace and relief through art therapy.
The Red Pencil has established a "Step 1-2-3 missions" framework where their visit to Syrian refugees is divided into three parts. The first mission in September 2015 was made in partnership with KAYANY, a non-government organization (NGO) based in Beirut that delivers aid to Syrian refugees who flee to Lebanon. The estimated beneficiaries whom The Red Pencil will help are expected to be around 250 children, 50 parents and 15 teachers.
Lama Majaj, one of the art therapists from The Red Pencil who travelled to Lebanon in September, believed that the communities displaced by war will get much needed relief from art therapy. She mentioned, “Children were able to express blocked emotions. Indeed, art acts as a cathartic release that enhances their self-worth and well-being.”
Dedication to their cause and motto – In the past, the non-profit organisation has provided assistance to children and caregivers in natural disasters such as the Nepal earthquakes, Japan tsunami and New Zealand earthquakes. Even in situations of conflict such as the one in Lebanon, Laurence Vandenborre believes that art therapy works just as well. She said, “A conflict zone is just another area of intervention where our organisation believes that art therapy is very appropriate and necessary”.
Furthermore, she said that the long-term objective is to address the trauma as early as possible to ensure an effective healing process. She went on to explain how The Red Pencil's motto – “When we rescue the child, we save the adult” applies here. “For adults who experienced deep trauma, the negative effects suffered could translate to negative behaviour that would become harmful to themselves, their own children and even to society. This is why we want to make sure that the emotionally hurt are taken care of so that they can rise and become a positive energy in the world”.
For more information about The Red Pencil, please visit their website www.redpencil.org
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Regional Groups approved in 2015
Regional groups have been growing in numbers, which is absolutely fantastic! The new ANZATA website includes a Regional Groups area which has all the information about existing groups with contacts so you can join, as well as detailed information and procedures to set up a group and to apply for funding.
There are now fifteen regional groups across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. They are:
Australia
NSW – Sydney Area Arts Therapists – SAAT; NECTA (Dramatherapy); Blue Mountains Nepean Regional Group
ACT – ACT4 Arts Therapy
VIC – Albury Group; Melbourne Group; Group of Registered Art Therapists – GRAT; Gippsland Creative Therapists Network
QLD – Brisbane; 'Art Therapists in Schools' practice group
WA – WA Regional Group
New Zealand
Northern Regional Group; Waikato Regional Group; WellArT Wellington Regional Group; HOT (Hands on Therapy) Group (Christchurch)
Singapore
Singapore Regional Group
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Don’t forget you can apply for funding for your regional group
Each regional group can apply for a grant of $500 per year for support. New groups are prioritised for set up costs and getting established. The grant process has been made much easier and now can be applied for online.
ANZATA is keen to support initiatives such as hosting high profile speakers and would like to encourage cross-collaboration and, where appropriate, to open up groups to other interested people to spread the news of the great work done in arts therapy.
In 2015 grants were approved for the following groups: WA Regional Group; SAAT; Melbourne Group; Northern Regional Group; Waikato Regional Group; WellArt; Brisbane’s Art Therapists in Schools; and the Singapore Group.
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Regional groups forum at the conference
A lunchtime gathering to share and discuss information about regional groups was held at the Adelaide Conference, facilitated by ACATA’s Meike Zielinski and ANZATA’s San Leenstra. It was very well attended with representatives from many of both associations’ regional groups.
The Victorian Regional Group (GRAT, the first ANZATA regional group and the first collaborative ANZATA/ACATA one) provided a large group artwork for display and information leaflets about their group. The Sydney group provided a colourful artwork of flags made by the group to be hung at the conference.
The WA group had the most representatives present with group leader Lynn showcasing a great example of how a regional group could be structured, well-documented in a folder. Regrettably Lynn informed us she is stepping back at the end of 2015 from the WA group leadership. She will be greatly missed, however, I am sure that a new leader will be found to continue the great work in that state. Other groups, still in set up stage, eagerly used the opportunity to glean information and gain new ideas for their groups. We intend to continue to provide opportunities to exchange information at our future conferences.
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Travelling Art Work to the AAFT Family Therapy conference
Several art therapy artworks were displayed at the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT) Family Therapy Conference held on 6 and 7 November at the Jasper Hotel in Melbourne. Among the artworks displayed was the GRAT (Victorian Regional Group) group artwork, together with information about the group. The family therapy community received the artwork with enthusiasm and it was given its own page in the conference program.
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GRAT
This collaborative artwork has travelled to conferences and symposiums over the years as an “Art representative” of our group.
It was originally conceived at a meeting in May 2011 at Karen Biggs house in Daylesford, Victoria. Denise Longmire facilitated an experiential workshop in which the group created this communal painting relating to the question ‘What does work mean to you?’ It was agreed that the experiential had been a valuable experience and that the artwork would be taken to the next GRAT meeting to see if it could become a continuing group work. The artists included Alison McMillan, Karen Biggs, Denise Longmire, San (‘Sun’) Leenstra, Juliette Walsh, Lyn Callaghan, Bronwen Taylor and Sally Goldstraw.
In August 2015 the group met in Castlemaine for their annual experiential workshop titled ‘Movement & Multimodal Group Co-Creation’. Our facilitator Marita Jacobsson invited us to explore ‘Feelings about arts therapy practice’ by adding to the artwork created in 2011. Denise Longmire gave us the background to the group artwork describing that the idea had come from a workshop run by Dr Susan Hogan, (Professor of Cultural Studies & Art Therapy, University of Derby) in which she had worked with indigenous people using inexpensive and “natural” materials e.g. hessian and calico. Then Marita initiated discussion around the possibility of adding to the group artwork. What stood out for her from Denise’s description was “connecting with the past and present group experiences” while also envisioning our future.
We began by moving to music as a way to drop into our bodies and to start exploring the topic. Gathering at a communal table we created felted balls – adding layers of what we were coming to know about our individual and group arts therapy practices. The group engaged in conversation about art therapy ‘business’ and identity.
Upon closing we reflected on the artwork and placed our felted balls both next to it and then on top of it in respectful and considerate ways. Marita noted key words as group members shared their reflections about making their representations and also the experience of adding to the pre-existing artwork.
Two months later Marita, Denise and Natalya met to sew the finished felt balls onto the artwork. This artwork will continue to emerge and transform collaboratively as the group grows and changes.
Natalya Garden-Thompson (GRAT Organiser), Denise Longmire (Treasurer) and
Marita Jacobsson (Think Tank member
Right: 2015 Experiential attendees (left to right) – Candace
Schreiner, Marita Jacobsson,
Delwyn Hopkins, Chris Storm, Denise Longmire, Natalya Garden-Thompson, Alison McMillan,
Denise Howes and Georgia Vlassopoulos.
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WA Regional Group
Our committee are ‘Keeping in Touch’ with Western Australian ANZATA members and colleagues by presenting professional development/social events and ‘Off Site’ PD visits each year. Attendance certificates are provided. Invited guests from related fields are very welcome. Our aim is to bring to the WA ANZATA membership presentations and workshops from a range of recognised related practices such as art, dance, music, movement, drama, narrative, creative and play therapies. A small door fee covers refreshments and workshop materials are provided. Our two recent CPD events were 'Nourishment through Drama therapy’ presented by Manuela Macri, at the Niche Conference Centre on 25 July and our special Christmas event ‘An Intuitive Painting Experience’ with Angela Dicker in Fremantle on 7 November.
Manuela Macri is a dramatherapist and the Senior Coordinator of Community Services at ASeTTS. In her five years at ASeTTS she has worked as a Counsellor/Advocate using Drama therapy when suitable. She also supervises and supports community staff, is registered with ANZATA and has worked as a volunteer cross-culturally in Tanzania. Manuela gave a very informative PowerPoint presentation followed by an experiential workshop. We explored the theme of nourishment through drama therapy techniques of sculpting, embodiment and metaphoric exploration. We worked individually and in small groups to personally experience and gain an understanding of rituals to renew them and inspire us in our work. For many attendees this was a very different experience and a valuable PD afternoon for gaining insight into working with dramatherapy.
We held our Christmas event at the much requested ‘A Place Just to Be’ in Fremantle. This long established venue is owned by artist Bettye Christian and offers a quiet caring, creative environment that includes a Mandala meditation room, art studio, bridges and ponds, gardens and a huge variety of outdoor art works. The afternoon from 1.30 to 4.30 was a happy get together for fifteen members some of whom travelled long distances to attend.
Angela Dicker’s two hour lesson ’Paint 2 Relax’ was based on her simple technique that combined silk inks and Gutta on framed canvas. We lightly sketched in graphite, applied black Gutta over the finished design and then the Gutta was fast dried with a heat gun. The brilliantly coloured inks were worked into the designs then, when dried, sealed (outside) with a varnish spray. It was a very peaceful and satisfying afternoon.
Just outside a connecting bridge, over fish filled ponds, led to an adjoining art room where a table of refreshments, drinks, sandwiches and finger food was available all afternoon. The opportunity to gather again was very welcome and appreciated. Members mentioned that they were looking forward to the new year to catch up with our new state representative Jennifer Jamieson.
The afternoon ran late due to happy conversation and a presentation by Dr Susan Mason to me as this Christmas event also marked the beginning of my retirement from the position of WA Regional Group Leader/coordinator (since 2009). Again I expressed that the whole experience has been very rewarding, that I was indeed fortunate to work with such a great committee, and I thanked them for making my job relatively simple. I hold very happy memories.
WA Regional is in very good hands with a promising year ahead.
Lynnette Beekwilder-Reid
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Northern Regional Group
A workshop with Amanda Levey, Rachel Grimwood and Janet McLeod
The Northern Regional Group came together at Te Henga at the end of August to shake out our winter bodies and prepare for the re-birth of Spring, with a day of movement in relation to the environment with Amanda Levey and Rachel Grimwood, and the making of totemic objects from natural and manmade materials, facilitated by Janet McLeod.
The sun was called out from behind the clouds when our movement work began, and warmed us up for an engaging session of creature creation, based on the work of the Tjanpi Desert Weavers – a dynamic social enterprise of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council that Janet had encountered on one of her ANZATA connected journeys to Australia.
The Tjanpi artists work together at the Paarpakani artist camp in South Australia where they create sculptural works informed by the surrounding landscape. We were lavished with an abundance of materials, both natural and found, with winding wools, treasure troves of buttons and beads, ribbons and fabrics and feathers and much fun. It was hard to stop for lunch, as we wove and formed our totem's that held stories we were yet to discover.
Janet has a particular love of puppet making as practice in arts therapy, and included an insightful theoretical paper on the Tjanpi women’s work as background, which captured the rich elements of how the artists engage with their sculptures in a performative way, with language, song and ceremony. Following in their tradition, we enjoyed an afternoon of play as our creatures revealed their natures and symbolism. Improvised marches and processions and dances with flax flower sticks lead to the formation of a team teepee where our totems came together with amazing balance as they hung side-by-side in the sun.
In small groups we crafted ceremonial shows that were shared in the yurt to reflect the way we engage with our creature totems and each other. The day was truly inspirational and brought together diverse practice, modalities and materials in a way that naturally flowed to a collective conclusion. The delightful pictures speak for themselves. Thanks to everyone for making this such a significant rite of passage into Spring.
A workshop with Bettina Evans
The end of year Northern Regional Group day was a feature of the Open Studios Waitakere programme @ Te Henga Studios with a celebration of creativity in nature, lead by Bettina Evans AThR of Lyttleton.
Bettina is passionate about integrating arts therapy into the community and including the healing power of nature into her arts therapy, so it was great to share this experience with a diverse range of practitioners and the wider community. It was the day after the news of the Paris attacks, so gathering together, artists and art therapists, permaculturalists and biophiles, anthroposophists and activists, yoginis and medicine women, young, old, abled and disabled, trained and untrained, familiar and unfamiliar, we poured our intentions into an open air mandala for peace.
For me it conjured up ideas about where the edges meet, a permaculture concept Bettina had shared from Lyn Kapitan's talk at the Adelaide conference, in reference to the places within the eco-system where diversity is richest, and in the arts therapy context, the place where we can meet with other professionals and the community to mutually share, learn, challenge and inspire.
Bettina talked with us about her explorations into nature connected arts therapy, offering some historical and theoretical background. Before training as an arts therapist, Bettina was an organic horticulturalist who often worked in community settings, so naturally integrates these understandings and values into her work with clients, especially in relation to the elements. She shared some vignettes from her practice, with practical tips for working outdoors in the environment. We also learned about the concept of Hefting, where people become so connected with the land over time, that it becomes part of their DNA and an intrinsic expression of place, and we reflected on how this can be manifested in cross-cultural contexts.
After lunch, we did some movement work in the yurt with Louise Taylor, one of the exhibiting artists who uses movement as a way in to her painting process. Lou trained at the Tamalpa Institute, so took us through a multi-modal experience with images and words that lead us back to the mandala, where we shared our impressions and peace offerings and left them with the earth.
Many thanks to all who came and were a part of the process.
Sally Legg
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