DIY Lead Workshop at Creative Therapies Conference
Thank you to DIY for coming to present a workshop at our first Creative Therapies Conference at University of Salford in October and helping to make it such a memorable event.”
Leigh Gardner, Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of Salford
We got great feedback from our workshop at The Creative Therapies Conference ‘All the worlds a stage, celebrating our creativity from cradle to grave,’ at Salford University. Aimed at professionals and students in the field of counselling psychotherapy and community arts, DIY’s Friday Group were full of excitement to deliver a workshop at the conference.
Exploring how drama can be a valuable part of supporting mental and physical well-being.
Our workshop called ‘Movement through the life stages’ explored how DIY use drama games to support health and well-being.
The 5 Ways to Well-being
- Connect
- Take Notice
- Keep Learning
- Give
- Keep Active
The whole of Friday Group planned and delivered the workshop. We developed drama games as a metaphor for life. They allowed us and the delegates to look in depth at the 5 Ways to Well-being. For example, we often play a game called ‘Frozen Picture’ where someone creates a shape and then someone else joins them to respond by creating their own shape. We used this exercise to discuss ‘Connect’. We asked the questions ‘How did frozen picture help you connect?,’ and,‘Why is connection important for our health and well-being?’
Each game gave people the opportunity to reflect on how the 5 Ways affects both their own and others health and well-being.
It was wonderful to be a part of this Creative Therapies Conference, to share our practice and have the chance to unpick what health and well-being ‘is’ in our lives!
DIY has been working with Manchester University too!
Really great group learnt a lot. Was a pleasure to attend.”
Student feedback
Over the past year, DIY’s Friday Group members have been busy increasing their knowledge and skills in the area of arts and health. To share this we have been creating drama based training workshops in this field. It’s been year of discovery for us and we are proud that this specialism has been recognised. We are now linked to Manchester University where we provide a module focused on arts and health to medical students. As part of this module 4th and 5th year students participate in Friday Group, learning about how we plan and deliver workshops. Some of the subjects we have explored are the social model of health, support/leadership and how to plan and co-deliver.
I have learnt a lot about using non-verbal performance, the use of instruments, textures when interacting in a group & performance.”
Student feedback