Art Therapy

ART THERAPY

We strongly believe Art has a definite purpose to engage participation. It activates, stimulates, educates, agitates, delights, promotes, prevents, provides options, intervenes, inspires, transforms, cross cultures, honours traditions, unites, entertains, heals in relevant ways. Art becomes the great equalizer, humanizing those that have been previously dehumanized. Only when someone creates are they recognized as being alive. Art breaches the walls, providing a message to those outside.

 

The first Art therapy session conducted within the four walls of Pondicherry Prison was in itself a profound experience not just for the inmates but for the facilitators too. The outcome of the session left everyone present there in awe of the healing power of Art. The intention behind conducting an art therapy session was to engage the inmates who were always in a shell and inexpressive during all the activities.

10 prisoners were handpicked with the purpose of providing each of them a safe space. The opportunity of expressing themselves through the medium of art helped them to view themselves from a different and new perspective. No particular activity was planned for the first session, rather they were given the space to express themselves freely. They associated it with expressiveness, sensitivity, creativity—in sum, traits that seem antithetical to those assigned to prisoners.

At the end the session, each one of them was given a feedback form which had 10 questions and each of them expressed how greatly this session helped them to emotionally express themselves and allowed them to be present in the moment.

    Specifically, art therapy allows the inmate to express him or herself in a manner acceptable to both inside the prison and the outside culture. By including Art as therapy in the Auro Model Prison, we hope to evoke humanity in most people not just inside the prison but on the outside too.

    Giving them a voice, a new label, a sense of self through such sessions, would help them to rise above the quagmire they have found themselves in. And art can help that happen. Bringing art therapy inside the walls is an act of social justice. Such sessions will be regularly conducted in order to maintain the consistency and the involvement of the inmates.

    Sri Aurobindo Society celebrated the 150th Birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo and Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav by teaching a special wall art on traditional tribal forms of India. It was a great success and all the inmates were very happy to engage in some or other form in this training camp.

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