Background:
The number of natural disasters occurring globally continues to escalate with devastating consequences. As a result, research regarding disaster recovery has been dominated by resilience development for communities to cope more effectively with future disasters (Williams & Drury, 2009; Houston et al, 2017; Madsen & OMullan, 2017; Rus et al, 2018; Sou, 2019). This emphasis overlooks community capabilities during disasters, where resilience exists as an inherent resource, rather than an area requiring development (Lemay & Ghazal, 2001; Kelly, 2005; Imperiale & Vanclay; 2016). The primary focus on resilience also creates gaps in the narrative regarding other factors supporting disaster recovery (Sanders et al, 2015), which has implications for Australian approaches. Throughout the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires in South Australia, the Adelaide Hills were severely affected with over 23,000 hectares lost, together with loss of native plants, animals and environment. Moving across three different local councils, it destroyed 83 homes, claimed a fatality and had significant impact on individual and community mental health (Wellbeing SA, 2020). Through government funded recovery, the community requested mental health services and community art programs, but not creative art therapies (CATs). This is despite evidence that CATs are used to provide support, wellbeing and recovery from various natural disasters with positive outcomes across the globe (Fletcher et al., 2016; Kapitan, 2012; McManamey, 2009; Mohr, 2014; Orr, 2009).

Aim:
This presentation aims to provide an overview of the contributions of CATs to the disaster narrative. Moving beyond resilience, it aims to demonstrate how Indigenous ethics of care (IEOC) align with the centrality of creative art therapies and collaboratively offer a relational approach. Through an IEOC lens (MacGill, 2021), the role of art materials, time, space and environment will be discussed as co-contributors to the recovery narrative. Adopting an informative and interactive approach, this presentation offers space for considering the application of IEOC learning for therapists to explore their positioning within this practice.

Contributions to the field:
IEOC highlights the importance of deep connection and appreciation of human and non-human relationships, particularly regarding environmental care and concern (Whyte, 2017). The nexus of IEOC and CATs can potentially support practices within non-Indigenous persons and communities and through attentiveness, consider this nexus for human and environmental recovery and wellbeing. Through reflective engagement, there is scope to consider future recovery frameworks and the role of therapists in an ever-changing climate, society and world.

As posited by Jean Baker Miller, relational theory suggests that authentic connections characterized by mutual empathy and empowerment are crucial for women’s psychosocial functioning (Covington, 2007). This presentation examines the application of these principles within a women’s prison through the Expressive Post program, showcasing the transformative potential of art therapy.

Relational art therapy, as outlined by Gerlitz, Regev, and Snir (2020), emphasizes the creation of interactive dialogues between therapist and client. This approach, deeply rooted in psychoanalytic theory, offers a nuanced lens for exploring profound intrapersonal and intersubjective experiences. The ‘I-Thou’ encounter, central to Martin Buber’s (1958) philosophy, is highlighted as transformative within relational art therapy (Seeley, 2011). It fosters a deep recognition of the other as an extension of oneself, with creativity as a conduit for profound understanding.

In this presentation, I introduce a unique aspect of the program - response-based art therapy. This technique, where therapists make art reflecting on their clients’ experiences, adds depth to the therapeutic dynamic (Fish, 2019; Nash and Zetner, 2023). It offers a third-person perspective that enriches mutual understanding and insight based on principles from Van Lith (2014).

The Expressive Post program, designed and implemented within a women’s prison, is showcased as a practical application of these principles. The program involves participants creating postcard-sized artworks, with therapists responding in kind, fostering a reciprocal exchange that deepens the therapeutic dialogue. The program spans eight weeks, engaging participants through art material kits, group studio workshops, and individual art therapy sessions. The culmination is a group art exhibition and booklet production, symbolizing the shared journey (Haigh, 2013). The therapeutic impact is evidenced through the strengthened connections and self-discovery experienced by participants. As part of the presentation, I will present a case vignette of a participant, “Emily,” to illustrate the program’s impact. I will detail how the Expressive Post program facilitated Emily’s journey of self-discovery and healing through the co-creation of art and the evolving therapist-client relationship.

As part of the presentation, I will discuss the broader applicability of the program’s techniques, particularly the response-based art approach, beyond the prison context. I hope to make a case for integrating these methods in various therapeutic settings and emphasizing their potential to enhance therapeutic outcomes.

The presentation concludes with recommendations for future practice. I will advocate for incorporating elements from the Expressive Post program into broader art therapy practices and call for further research to substantiate its effectiveness in diverse settings.

Therapeutic art interventions in Australian prisons until now have remained an unexplored terrain. Despite evidence that art therapy can be a tool for social change, there are no recorded studies in Australia which have investigated the therapeutic benefits of art in prison populations with measured outcomes. Notably, prison art therapy research has never been documented within a mixed-methodology framework by an ex-prisoner. The lived experience of the principal researcher has brought into light novel approaches to recording the inmate experience through art. This ground-breaking research intersects the criminal criminologist paradigm while highlighting the significance of the dire prisoner experience through visual documentation. Over several years and prison-immersed experiential research, this exploratory study has produced rich results from the “inside”. The findings underscore that art, expression, and creative interventions can offer meaningful cathartic experiences in the prison setting. Moreover, therapeutic art programs seemingly offer cascading benefits to the wider prison community, transcending beyond those who engage in art. Finally, Indigenous identity and autonomy are bound to artistic expression. Art can assist prisoners to rebound from a history of exclusion while at the same time reinstating inmate identity and purpose. The research includes data collection and analysis from a public art exhibition, assisting in formulating timely recommendations for research, policy, and practice.

Background:
Museum and cultural heritage settings offer unique opportunities for individuals to connect with cultural and historical artifacts, providing numerous benefits such as stress reduction, increased self-awareness, and improved mental health (Falk & Dierking, 2013). Previous research suggested the potential of using art therapy in museums (Reyhani Dejkameh and Shipps, 2018). For example, Peacock (2012) explored the innovative partnership between museum education and art therapy, while Salom (2011) reinvented the therapeutic setting by using art therapy in museums. These studies mostly focused on using visual arts-based approach. There is a lack of research and documented practical guidelines on using multimodal expressive arts therapy in museum and heritage settings for achieving specific therapeutic purposes or enhancing community wellness.

Aim:
This presentation explores the benefits of using expressive arts therapy in museum and heritage settings for the Hong Kong community. It will highlight the potential value of combining museum and heritage sites with expressive arts therapy, based on workshops conducted at M+ museum and Heritage - Tai Kwun in collaboration with the Centre on Behavioral Health of the University of Hong Kong. The presentation will address how expressive arts therapy can enhance emotional expression, empathy, promote well-being, and foster personal growth in those settings.

Knowledge Shared:
The presentation will begin with a literature review on expressive/creative arts therapy and its application in museum and heritage settings. It will then focus on two community-based programs in Hong Kong that use expressive arts therapy in museum and heritage settings: the exhibition of Yayoi Kusama at M+ museum and the Courtroom Theatre program at Tai Kwun. The presentation will share insights and findings from these programs, including how they have enhanced emotional expression, empathy, and wellbeing among participants.

Contributions to the Field:
This presentation contributes to the advancement of expressive/creative arts therapy by highlighting the benefits of using this approach in museum and heritage settings in Hong Kong. It will discuss the potential impact of this approach on clinical practice, theoretical frameworks, and policy development. The presentation will also address the broader implications of this approach for the community, including how it can promote cultural understanding and encourage the use of museums and heritage sites for therapeutic purposes.