Resilience Through Arts Engagements

Abstract

Resilience enables individuals or communities to maintain or restore psychological equilibrium in the face of turbulence and trauma, providing the dynamic capacity for adaptation and change. Engaging with diverse case studies, this talk illustrates how arts and resilience are interconnected. The first example details an extended community arts engagement with a bushfire affected community, focusing on the specific arts techniques employed and the measurable positive impact on community wellbeing. The second illustration is of an arts sharing event between asylum seeker and forced migrant communities that generates a sense of belonging and cross-cultural understanding. The third case explores a gender diverse youth choir, highlighting how rehearsal and performance processes contribute to the building of self-esteem and sense of community. The fourth study investigates an arts café attached to a mental health clinic that succeeds in reducing stigma and enhancing pride. The fifth example traces the workings of a dance company specifically developed by and for older people and uncovers how positive ageing experiences can be generated. The findings highlight the transformative power of the arts to foster individual and community resilience.

This lecture is free and open to all. Registration is not required to attend in person.

More information about Professor Jane W. Davidson