ART AS A WAY OF LIFE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

1. ART AS A WAY OF LIFE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

2. ART AS A WAY OF LIFE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE Questions about the sense of humanity were asked by philosophers, theologises, psychologists and representatives of other science for centuries. The effect of applying different measures to determinate human being was dividing people into categories. For thousands of years society organized under some ideas of normality and there be an „ average person” was formed.However in every society there is a certain percent of people, who for hereditary reasons, congenital medical conditions, as a result of diseases, accidents or poor living conditions don’t present full physical, intellectual or mental fitness. As people who differ from established standards of being average, they are described as “disabled”. For many years medical approach to disabled was applied. It supposed that disability is deviation from standards in aspects of physical, sensorial or intellectual fitness. As a result of understanding disability this way, actions on social policy took aim of compensation for deviations from standards and differences in functioning of disabled people to a greatest possible extent, according to established standards. The result of traditional-taking for grated charities and specialist community care services- approach to disability is fact that more attention is paid to limitations of particular person arising from his/hers disability, than to actually abilities and skills, which leads to underestimating personal abilities and not using person’s potential in different aspects of live – including variety of art forms. It also moves to margin real needs of disabled people connected with their functioning in society. Artistic creativity and participation in culture fulfill the most important of them.

3. Need for acceptance Need for success Level of self Artistic creation of a disabled person Need for security Need for self’fulfillment Need for coexistence Realization of needs determining creative activity and participation in culture by disabled people Approach to establishinglevel of disability of individual takes into consideration wider aspect than just medical. At present disability is interpreted as a characteristic arising from interactions between individual and its social and physical surrounding. And what are external factors, meaning who and what forms disabled person? And more importantly: who is to help disabled people to find their place in society and therefore in culture? Will they be, at least be passive audience or active participant and creator?

4. Cinema Familly Culture house Radio and TV School Disabled person Library Theatre Clubs and peer groups External factors determining cultural development of disabled person However the essential argument supporting the necessity of organizing continuing system of development and social activation of disabled people is statement based on results of researches and many observation, stating that high spending covering the necessary and valuable, early simulation and school education is wasted if disabled is refused help at the period when he/she is actually ready and mature enough for participating in open social life. What are the most influential groups in shaping disabled person?

5. Familly Culturalinstitutions Disabled person School Workplace Local community Church Groups of influence determining development of disabled person

6. Creative operson with a disability The need of disabled person Disabled person Cultural education of a disabled person Opportunities to participate in the culture of a disabled person As organizers of international conference „Chances and opportunities of disabled people in United Europe” that took place in Tczew in year 2002, we took a position that “Every person is individuality and that’s how should be treated, therefore taking into consideration individual determinant, everyone should have possibility to get the taste of life, curiosity and willingness to overcome challenges and celebrating achievements, which determinates values of humanity. Today we are sure that leading person to particular aim means finding his place and starting from there-sometimes difficult- way to full participation in social life. Experience and conclusions from conducted actions show explicitly that the closes, most natural and at the same time proven is attitude towards development and wide presentation of possibilities and artistic achievements disabled people, supported by solid cultural education, focused on preparing for reception and participating in culture. Conditions for the participation of disabled people in the culture

7. Disabled person The possibility of a disabled person limitations inherent in the disabled person external constraints Magnitude of forms and possibilities of expressing emotional, individual perception makes art a “bridge to society” for disabled people, way of marking the presence of personal value of each individual. However it’s only when we help him, create environment enabling overcoming of barriers and limitations. . LIMITATIONS ON PARTICPATINON IN CULTURE BY THE DISABLED

8. Methods and techniqes used at the creative work

9. Paratheatre techniques Drama- gettinginvolved in fictional situation, empathize with the character or thing, becoming it and working as it does. In drama everyone is successful, all the parts are important. Using drama when working with children makes cooperation easier, it also helps to build interactions. Children become open, self-confident and willing to help each other. Pantomime- movement, gesture and facial expressions are used together. Emotions and feelings are shown. Imagination of a presenting person is activated as well as imagination of audience. Changing roles techniques – the child’s role allows it to gain new experience. For example a child with disturbed social interactions will play a game, in which it will play a role of an adult(parent, teacher, doctor, etc) and a teacher is taking a role of a child.Puppet theatre- theatre creates opportunities to talk about emotion and motives behind the actions, child’s inner creative activity is moved. Children make puppets by themselves, they become directors, stage designers and it leads to cooperation.

10. Theatre as therapy Theater classes are in this case classes of expressive character in area of artistic activities, preparing and participating in performances. Theater as therapy is understood as particular development of personality, creative approach to life and problems as well as stirring imagination. Subject matter and forms of classes run as this therapy are very abounding and extensive. In this case theater as therapy doesn’t only limit to preparation and presentation of performance but it also contains relaxation techniques, self-massage, diction and movement practice, reading literature and poetry, which gives pretext for conversation and meetings with poets, writers and artistic work of other people. Using many different forms of work not only makes therapy more attractive or simulates participant’s willingness to undertake actions, but above all it increases the area of influence and gives better(in terms of quality and quantity) effects.

11. In proposed theater therapy we can distinguish following types of activity: Musical-physical games They consist of: Ball exercise-tossing, rolling, throwing at a target, juggling; Hoop exercise-swinging it around left/right arm, swinging two hoops at the same time, swinging hoops on the hips; Games with sticks; Those exercise, involving many difficult acrobatic elements, on one hand influence cognitive processes, ie concentration, divisibility of attention, perceptiveness and visually-motorical coordination, on the other helps to gain physical fitness which can be then used in performances.

12. Activities involving reading literature and poetry, discussions In this meetings participant is introduced to different literary propositions, fairy tales, eastern parables. Getting to know literary texts and attempt to interpreting them, is just a pretext for analysing character’s attitudes, determining their motives, searching for universal values and relating it to ourselves. This way texts are source of conversations about life, politics, philosophy and basic values in human life. Thanks to this meetings participants gain the ability to keep conversation, they also learn basic rules of discussions. They are taught to focus on listening, not interrupting others mid-sentence.They are also shown ways of joining the conversation.

13. Preparation and presentation of performances Main aimof the therapy is not improvement of theatre art, but development and improvement of different aspects of participants’ functioning. Hence performances are not the final product of the therapy, they are only the ending of certain part of it. In relation to that, from therapy point of view, the most important part is creation of performance and preparation for presentation. Although any action on stage could be described as movement theatre, performing actors are aware of the topic brought up in a play, they know what is being told by their gesture and facial expression. Working on performance, as well as presenting it on many occasions, are the areas of improving cognitive process, refining abilities like: obseration, which is related to finding the right place on the stage in regard to partners and stage props; memory, by remembering and playing actions and contents of particular scene, the right order. Also coordination is improved. Apart from what was already mentioned, every stage performance is a link betweenthe disabled and society. Participating in festivals or theatrical overviews contributes to forming positive behavior, it also enables and makes it easier for the disabled to make interpersonal contacts.

14. Relaxation with elements of self-massage This type of activity consists of breathing, calming and relaxing exercises. Relaxation takes place with music in the background and it’s combine with massaging the body with hands or balls. At the end participants express their impressions of the melody heard in the class. This is important part of the therapy, participants are allowed to calm down and unwind, but the also need to concentrate on exercises that require precision and accuracy. Diction exercise Activities involve diction exercise, many different kinds of poems and rhymes with words that might be difficult to produce. Often loud and rhythmical hand clapping of syllables is used. Improving the speech brings many positive effects in other areas of functioning, for instance it enriches vocabulary, sustains interactions with others and improves the quality of the communication.

15. International Overview of Wonderful Theaters

16. Art is very effective form of therapy. International Overview of Wonderful Theaters, organized in Tczew for 8 years, are a great indication of the fact that art is very effective form of therapy. Expirence gain by Association, projects that had been carried out indicate unequivocally that the disabled are gifted with great sensitivity and artistic abilities. The world of their art is free, uncompromising and in obvious way natural. This is why artistic actions of disabled people are full of positive energy. Honesty shown in their interpretation of reality gives audience wide range of magnificent sensations. The energy and joy of actors is spread across the audience. This approach to phenomenon allows introduction of artistic creativity into system of social activation of the disabled. Programs of integrations and countermeasure of social exclusion of disabled people based in cultural activity might be introduced. Considering the range of institutional propositions of support for the disabled, gaps are becoming noticeable. Our project is trying to make changes by continuing and developing actions which had been run up to now and developing new forms of work in this field. The disabled show great resistance to joining open society. They are concerned about their abilities, not sure of how the surrounding will react. However if they convinced of their value, sure of candidness and honesty of coworkers they become successful. Most capabilities of the disabled are shown in artistic activity. Multiannual activities run by Association show that art therapy is effective way to social integration of disabled people. Next step arising from our strategy is creating music and theater therapy room, which would become a place of activity for a big group of disabled adults. This will give them opportunity to get away from house and every-day reality, they can start to create their own personality.

17. Overview was created as a result of need for presenting achievements and artistic abilities of disabled people. Theatre as art is very wide. Here everyone can find its own place. The delicate bonding between human hearts, imagination, thoughts and sense of human being is made. This is why we create opportunities for every individual to come up to the world, speak up-quietly, but very clearly. We combine the effort of hundreds, thousands of people to use art as a tool to break the barriers. Through eight editions of Overview on the stage of Cultural and Art Center Tczew, we hosted artists from Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Denmark, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain and South Africa. Overview became a ground for common theatrical project, which were presented on stages of Poland, Lithuania, Germany and Great Britain. Overview had it owns starts. There is no doubt that “Saint Martin Group from South Africa was one of it. All the energy and professionalism shown by children would be enough for many professional. And the climate? True Africa!

30. „Nasze Kociewie” Regional Overview of Creativity

31. Overview of Creativty for children and youth from Kociewie. It’s main aim is to integrate childrend from different special schooling units from Kociewie,it supports development of intrest in culture, tradition and our region, it also arouses interest of local enviroemnt in artistic activity of disabled people which develops creative activity in children. Annually-starting from year 2001- stage performance, based on local literature take place. They use local dialect. On the second day of the event workshops with folk artists. Assosiation together with Special Center Schooling-educating(?) run folk group, which works on theater performances, dances and folk music. Members of the group were given national costumes made by disabled children

37. European Art Therapy Center This project was participated by disabled people from Poland, Lithuania and Germany. Project was realized with finacial support from European Union.

38. European Art therapy center In year 2005 Assosiation was runing international Project entiltiled „ European Art therapy center”. The wide range of workshops was created including: weaving, ceramic, painting, musical and computer graphics for disabled youth from Tczew, Kowno and Furstenwalde. Young people were taugh how to develop their abilities and how to use them in order to join the employment world. Project lasted for 7 months and included: warsztaty artystyczne i aktywizacji zawodowej artistic and professional activation workshops The effect of workshops was among others: elaboration of the strategy of increasing artistic and professional activation of disabled people and international program of therapy for the disabled. Traning: For employers referring to employment of disabled people- Polish system and the systems of other countries which are involved in the project For the disabled referring to their rights and abilities in European Union. Courses: In workshops and courses on: Self-presentation, Job seeking, Research and analysis conducted by other countries involved in project, referring to artistic and professional activation of disabled people. exhibition and presentation Center work Tczew Kowno Furstenwalde Project proved unequivocally, that chosen direction is right. Artistic activation is an excellent way to professional activation of the disabled. This opinion was shared among observers, producers and guests.