Championing Art in Art Therapy Training: A Multidimensional Art Collaboration in Southeast Asia (Promotion de l'art dans la formation en art-thérapie : une collaboration artistique multidimensionnelle en Asie du Sud-Est)

Abstract

Art therapy is a dynamic discipline that readily embraces opportunities to further develop and expand practices and applications. This can be observed in art therapy training pedagogy, initiatives, and projects. For those art therapy training programs that are new and/or are being developed in regions around the world, it is important that their contributions to the field are acknowledged and shared with a global audience. Art-based methodology supports the reflexive stance of this preliminary investigation and documents this initial phase of a larger research initiative. This article serves to highlight an overview of a cross-border, cross-cultural collaboration that led to a two-part digital experiential workshop between a Bali-based artist and an artist/art therapist, involving his postgraduate art therapy students from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. The art in art therapy is championed with a focus on integrating technologies with one’s art practice, one’s artist identity, and one’s art therapy practice.

RÉSUMÉ

L'art-thérapie est une discipline dynamique qui saisit facilement les occasions de développer et d'étendre davantage les pratiques et leur application. Ceci peut être observé dans la formation en art-thérapie à travers la pédagogie, les initiatives et les projets. S’agissant des programmes de formation en art-thérapie qui sont nouveaux et/ou en cours de développement dans les régions du monde entier, il est important que leurs contributions dans le domaine soient reconnues et partagées avec un public mondial. La méthodologie basée sur l'art soutient la position réflexive de cette enquête préliminaire et documente la phase initiale d'une initiative de recherche plus large. Cet article sert à mettre en valeur un aperçu de collaboration transfrontalière et interculturelle qui a conduit à un atelier expérientiel numérique en deux parties entre un artiste basé à Bali et un artiste/art-thérapeute qui a engagé ses étudiants de troisième cycle en art-thérapie du LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapour. L’art dans l’art-thérapie est défendu en mettant l’accent sur l’intégration des technologies dans la pratique artistique de chacun, dans son identité d’artiste et dans sa pratique de l’art-thérapie.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to both David and Rani Trevelyan for their creativity, their humanity, and for their generosity in both their home-based studio in Bali, Indonesia as our hosts and in Singapore as our guests. Secondly, it is important to acknowledge the significant and profound work that the students, alumni, and teaching team of the MA Art Therapy program, LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore are engaged in as they are truly championing the discipline and are forging new ground with their academic, clinical, research, and art pursuits. Thirdly, a very special thank you to Natalie Kang Qian Yi, Jou Wei-Kay, Jolene Chiang, and Kimo Ong for graciously granting permission to include their reflections, thoughts, and artwork into this article.