Multicultural Dance Therapy as a tool for Inclusion, Diversity, Mental and Physical Health

Lack of self-confidence, cultural differences and economic barriers cause negative emotions and affect the mental and physical health of adults. Art-based experience fosters critical and creative learning which offers to the learners the possibility to be aware of issues which may not be easily comprehended through rational argumentation. This project aimed to provide to adult trainers in psychology (psychotherapy, dance therapy) and in art and culture (dance and theatre) an art-based tool which will help the adult learners to become familiar with different cultures, reduce xenophobia, develop fairness and respect for inclusion and diversity, as well as advance their mental and physical health. More specifically, a methodology has been created, which includes circular dance movements stemming from traditional and popular dances from all over the world. This multicultural art training tool will be used by adult trainers in psychology and in art and culture in order to help their trainees through the emotions and feelings arising from the learning process to advance their mental and physical health and to become familiar with different cultures, reduce xenophobia and develop fairness and respect for inclusion and diversity.

The main objectives of the project were: 1. to enhance the ability of adult trainers in art, culture and psychology to develop tolerance, mutual understanding and respect for inclusion and diversity to adult learners, including those with fewer opportunities, by using multicultural art-based methods, 2. to enhance the ability of adult trainers in art, culture and psychology to help adult learners, including those with fewer opportunities, to become familiar with different cultures, reduce xenophobia, develop respect for inclusion and diversity and live a psychologically and physiologically healthy life by using as a training tool a multicultural dance therapy methodology, 3. to enhance the access of open source art training tools to adult trainers and learners, thus reducing disparities and promoting social inclusion, 4. to promote equal opportunities and access, inclusion, diversity and fairness across all the stages of the project by involving participants with fewer opportunities in the implementation of the project, 5. to reinforce cooperation with partners from other countries, 6. to develop environmental consciousness by designing the project activities through an environmentally friendly approach.

A. One staff training activity in France, where 2 trainers from each partner participated for 5 days. They trained each other by demonstrating the choreographies that they had created during the research process, and created a multicultural dance methodology. This activity led to the development of: - a digital handbook linked to tutorial videos presenting this multicultural dance therapy methodology, - a case study based on this multicultural dance therapy methodology. B. One blended training activity in Greece. 24 adult trainers in art, culture and psychology (including 16 with fewer opportunities) and 6 staff members (2 from each participating organisation) participated for 10 days. In this blended training activity, the participants developed their professional skills and capacities with the assistance of the staff members, using as a tool the digital handbook and the case study created in the staff training activity. C. Two one-day sharing and promotion conferences, one in Germany and one in Greece. These conferences included lectures, open discussions, presentations of the project results, and evaluation of the project results and of the impact on the target group participating in the activities through questionnaires.

The outcomes of the project are: - Providing an art-based training method to adult trainers in art, culture and psychology in order to address the need of adult learners, including those with fewer opportunities, to develop tolerance, mutual understanding and respect for inclusion and diversity. - Improvement of the capacity of adult trainers in art, culture and psychology to train adults, including adults with fewer opportunities, by using the borderless language of a multicultural dance therapy methodology. - Promotion of access of open source art training tools to adult trainers and learners, including those with fewer opportunities. - Promotion of equal opportunities and access, inclusion, diversity and fairness by involving participants with fewer opportunities in the implementation of the project. - Enhancement of the capacity and professionalism to work at EU level. - Development of environmental consciousness by designing the project activities through an environmentally friendly approach. The results included: - a digital handbook linked to tutorial videos, presenting a multicultural dance therapy methodology, - a case study based on a multicultural dance therapy methodology.