Improving migrant well-being: spontaneous movement as a way to increase the creativity, spontaneity and welfare of migrants in Glasgow

ABSTRACT

This article describes the experience of two years of working with migrants residing in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Three different groups, with participants from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, students, migrants and asylum seekers, converged in three different spaces and frameworks. A total of 51 participants, six men and 41 women between 20 and 50 years of age, took part in spontaneous movement workshops to promote their health, body awareness and well-being, the strengthening of affective bonds and creativity. The impact of the sessions was assessed through an anonymous survey, a semi-structured interview and a facilitator’s diary of the sessions. The settings of the three groups were not identical and, thus, did not allow for a comparison between them. However, the results showed that the sessions helped participants to increase their sense of well-being and confidence, facilitate their integration process and strengthen their bonds with other participants.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance movement therapy
• migration
• integration
• well-being
• spontaneity
• creativity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susana García-Medrano

Susana García-Medrano is a sociologist, psychotherapist, feminist educator and facilitator. Specialist in the design, teaching and evaluation of educational programmes to very diverse populations: rural, urban and indigenous contexts, universities, non-governmental sector and government institutions. Her research interests are intersectional feminism, well-being, self-care, social justice, treatment of survivors of sexual violence. She holds an Honours degree in Sociology, master degree on Dance Movement Therapy and diplomas in Gestalt and Body Psychotherapy.

Heidrun Panhofer is associate professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology at the Autonomous University in Barcelona where she has created and coordinates the Master’s and Postgraduate Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) since 2003. She is one of the co-founders and a supervisory member of the Spanish Association for DMT- ADMTE and guest lecturer in several training programmes in Europe. Heidrun’s research interests are embodiment, body memory, interculturality, movement observation DMT supervision and practice.