This grouping of two videos about a pioneering Arts in Medicine program is presented along with interviews of two creative arts therapists who work in that program. The touching experiences shared by the patients engaged in expressive arts treatment remind us of why one begins to create in the first place.
Color My World showcases the program at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL, founded in 1990, and was made in 1998. Amy Bucciarelli, an art therapist and Jenny Lee, a dance therapist, describe their roles in relation to those of the teaching artists also involved in the service and educational aspects of the programs. The films and the thoughtful reflections of the creative arts therapists in the program provide a model of some ways for artists and clinically trained therapists to work together to serve the needs of medical patients and other providers.
The touching experiences shared by the patients engaged in expressive arts treatment remind us of why one begins to create in the first place. Participating in these programs brightened the world of many patients by transforming their experience in the hospital to one of hope, fun and healing in the midst of pain, discomfort and uncertainty. Those who facilitated creating – whether through writing, performing, dancing, or creating artwork – recognized that the stories the children shared were metaphors about healing. Color My World demonstrates the use of many art forms including: storytelling; art that connects people and fills the ceiling tiles of the hospital; actors performing for or with patients; doctors experiencing loss, death and dying; musicians filling the halls with soothing tones; and writers who help patients create poetry that speaks to the soul.
Healing Words is a documentary about the same program ten years later that shines a light on the effective practice of incorporating poetry into the lives of patients recovering from surgery and major illnesses. Spearheaded by Dr. John Graham-Pole and John Fox, individuals in a personal quest to recover psychologically and physically from illnesses that have dramatically changed their lives use poetry as a way to express and contain their experiences.
Comments by Art Therapist, Amy Bucciarelli, MS, ATR-BC & Dance Therapist, Jennifer Baxley Lee, MA, BC-DMT
This video was formerly included in the Expressive Media Arts Therapies Films Collection distributed by Expressive Media Inc.
