Art workshop with Haitian street children in a post-earthquake context: Resilience, relationship and socialisation

• Published in: International journal of art therapy 2017-01, Vol.22 (1), p.2-7
• Main Authors: Brolles, Lisbeth, Derivois, Daniel, Joseph, Nephtalie Eva, Karray, Amira, Guillier Pasut, Nathalie, Cénat, Jude Mary, Pamphile, Jimmy, Lafontant, Elvire Marlise, Alexandre, Marc Richard, Felix, Gardithe, Chouvier, Bernard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Art therapy; Children & youth; creative art groups; creative processes; Creativity; Disasters; earthquake; Earthquakes; Haiti; Homeless people; natural disasters; Resilience; socialisation; Socialization; street children; symbolisation; Trauma
• ISSN: 1745-4832; 1745-4840
• DOI: 10.1080/17454832.2016.1245768

This article forms part of a research project on the subject of resilience and the creative process in Haitian street children and adolescents who have been victims of natural disasters. A creative art group initiative was set up with street children in order to assess their ability to engage in creative activity and the extent to which such an activity could facilitate their reintegration into society, as well as offering an outlet for expressing their reactions to the various traumatic experiences they had undergone. Our working hypothesis was that the development of a relationship between the children, the artists, the workshop facilitators, and also with the context and creative process, could help to initiate a process of personal and cultural expression. It was also thought that the artists and workshop facilitators would provide substitute parental figures, who might act as catalysts in the children's symbolisation process.