This a specific tailor-made programme for supporting refugees, asylum seekers and victims of abuse and torture.
Art for All programmes have been run in Italy at refugee reception and support centres in Sicily and Calabria also in the UK, since 2021
“Regardless of the type of trauma or where and how it occurred, it is widely acknowledged that the arts play a huge role in the healing process. Trauma can block off our primary emotions and experiences of joy, awe and wonder. It cuts us off from one another. The use of the arts in this context slows us down to create space for inquiry and discovery, as well as softening the hardened boundaries and defences caused by the trauma. This can facilitate the healing process.” Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross Your “Your Brain on Art” 2023
The main aims of this approach are:
Self-expression - finding a way to express feelings that doesn’t require language. Finding lost parts of the self and affirming parts of my identity
Providing a lighter way of being, a calm space, amid many pressures – practical living, documentation, and legal processing, all of which can become confusing and stressful
Creating belonging – both for the individual but also for a group