Includ-ed, red europea de educación inclusiva

incluD-ed: What has your experience of working with people with disabilities been like?

Przemek Staroń: They are amazing - they engage instantly. They have a great curiosity of the world, something which their peers often lack - rushing through life, without a moment to stop and contemplate. On the other hand, many are also very shy and blocked, but if you give them enough time and attention, they will open up and amazing things will happen. These people, as I have seen, are just waiting for someone to reach out to them, and reassure them that they are needed and valuable - then they engage in almost everything. During my traineeships, I visited many places where the majority of people are children or disabled people. It was a great experience to win them all over with patience, therapy through storytelling, or simply “being there for them”. 

incluD-ed: What can art and creativity bring to these people?

Przemek Staroń: Art can help people open themselves up to others. Communicating through images without being judged gives a sense of serenity and bonding. Later comes the feeling of creating, which in itself is amazing. And that translates into the feeling of being effective: “I can create something out of nothing, and that is great even if it is not aesthetically pleasing; but above all – “my disability was no obstacle”. Moreover, emotional expression takes place, and when that happens, our tension levels connected with it go down significantly. The triad forged during this process consists of the participant, the coach or the other participant, and the creation. Creation, which is not placed under any judgment, then becomes the basis of understanding and the channel of expressing emotions.

incluD-ed: Do you think that the benefits of using art and expressing creativity are underestimated, especially in work with people with special needs?

Przemek Staroń: I think that a lot has changed during last few decades. Art and creativity are much more appreciated in the theoretical and practical field, but I still think there is much to be done.

Firstly, I think there are many places where art isn’t at all used as a tool in therapeutic work. Secondly, on a practical level, many people mistake occupational therapy for art or art therapy. Occupational therapy is very helpful and often has therapeutic functions, but it will never fulfil the same goals as art therapy. It is a common belief that occupational therapy is sufficient for disabled people. Małgorzata Maria Kulik, my colleague at Jump, says that in her opinion, art therapy is neglected. It is not used often enough as a means of expressing oneself, discovering one’s potential or simply as a way of communicating..She is a doctorate student of rehabilitation psychology, privately suffering from SM.

Another problem lies in the social reception of art created by disabled people, where the impressions of the audience are of crucial importance. Many people still have the “so good for a disabled person” attitude, which isn’t what the artists want. They want to be appreciated for their work, not for the fact that they create it in spite of their disability. Luke is the best example - his art represents obvious value in itself, regardless of the fact that he is disabled. He comments on that in ‘Cause of manifesto’ when he says “Let’s reject the mass pat on the back. Full of pitiful words and empathy… It is no good. It is only the process of getting used to the limitations”.

incluD-ed: “As far as art is concerned there are no physical limitations” … “Art is freedom” – what could and/or should be done to foster arts in inclusive education and in the daily work with people with disabilities?

Przemek Staroń: The most important thing is to spread the word. Art must be popularised and introduced as a tool wherever possible. Art therapy - which includes story therapy, music therapy, drama therapy, and dance therapy, among others - should become an integral part of workshops for people with special needs. We must achieve the best possible quality of methods if we really want for them to heal and enrich. And we should promote good art by disabled people, not because it is created by disabled people, but because it is good.

It is also very important to constantly research the effectiveness of art therapy and creative workshops, and the beneficial impact that the process of creating art has on a person with special needs. We must publish the results and make sure they get noticed. It is also important to draw the attention of local authorities and try to obtain funds. There is much to be done, but it is really worth the effort, because the act of creating is one of life’s greatest and most enriching experiences.

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Translation of the interview by Jędrzej Sołowij

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Przemysław (Przemek) S. Staroń graduated from the Catholic University in Lublin in psychology and cultural studies. He is a member of the Polish Association of Creativity and of the Polish Association of Art Therapy. He works as a trainer and art therapist at JUMP Development Center and as a lecturer and trainer in the Department of Psychology in Sopot, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw. He works at the University of the Third Age in Sopot. He teaches ethics, philosophy, and knowledge of the culture and history of art in the Second Secondary School in Sopot (Boleslaw Chrobry).

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JUMP

http://www.centrumprasowe.swps.pl/psychologia/mgr-przemyslaw-staron

http://www.centrum-jump.pl/

https://www.facebook.com/centrum.jump

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Magazine “AVANT” de Przemek Staron with a manifesto written by Lukasz Siatkowski

PRZYCZYNEK DO MANIFESTU = Cause of manifesto

“Let’s reject the mass ‘pat on the back’. Full of pity and sympathy… It’s no good. It’s just a process of getting used to the limitations. Then you build the useless ramps on stairs that show you don’t understand us or our needs, you don’t see the world through our eyes. If we want to be understood, we have to give you our eyes.

(…) Let’s not get superior with our “disability”. Let’s not be unbearable. For once, let’s abandon the thought that we are privileged. We have to treat them gently, reducing the distance with warmth. Let’s talk about needs and LISTEN… let our words be the living proof of human nature”.

http://avant.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/T2012_Koncert.pdf

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Read also the interview with Lukasz Siatkowski  ‘As far as art is concerned, there are no physical limitations.’ - Interview with Łukasz Siatkowski