The European Graduate School & the Norwegian Institute of Expressive Arts & Communication present…

EXIT: FINDING HOPE INTHE FACE OF DARKNESS

January 20, 2021

3:00 – 7:30p.m. (Rome Time)

In the midst of darkness and uncertainty how do we find hope?  Join us for this special event as Professor Melinda A. Meyer introduces the «Expressive Arts in Transition», EXIT trauma intervention certificate program.

International guest lecturers will join this mini-conference to present their work with EXIT in diverse contexts.

Learn more about Expressive Arts and Global Health.certificate program.

Reserve your spot by emailing:  Melinda Meyer

We welcome you to join the workshop a few minutes early so that you are ready to participate when the conference starts.  Please plan to stay online during the whole conference as stepping in and out could disrupt the activities.  To confirm the start time in your area please consult the time zone conversion clock.

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Program:

3.00 – 3.30 PM    Welcome by Melinda A. Meyer  and Anna Fenech

Introduction: “Expressive Arts in Transition (EXIT), a community intervention under and after severe stress”

3.45- 4.45 PM       Mylinda Baits & Shabrae Jackson

“Call and Response: EXIT Exploration with Communities Confronting Challenge and Crisis. How the arts encourage Listening, Witness and Leading Out”

4.45 – 5.00 PM    Breakout rooms for reflection

5:00 – 5:05 PM    Harvesting

Break 20 min

5:25– 5:30           Welcome back

5.30- 6.30 PM      Heiko Kalmbach and Elisabeth Yupanqui-Werner

“Beauty in Community: Forming a Diverse EXIT Network in Germany – insights from our training experience”

6:30 – 6:45 PM      Breakout rooms for reflection

6:45 – 7:00 PM      Harvesting

7.00- 7.20 PM       Information about future training

7.20- 7.30 PM       Closing and Farewell by Melinda A. Meyer

Our International Lecturers

Melinda A. Meyer DeMott

Professor Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott, PhD is the Director and Co-founder of the Norwegian Institute for Expressive Arts Therapy (EXA, 1991). She is Professor and Program Coordinator of Expressive Arts in Global Health and Peace building at EGS, Campus Malta. Her main training today is the Certificate program: ”Expressive Arts in Transition” (EXIT) a manualized group intervention for populations enduring severe stress. Developing training teams internationally. She is a researcher and project leader at the University of South East Norway. Ms Meyer DeMott has made three documentary films about EXA and refugees, participated in writing books and written several articles.

Anna Fenech

Anna Fenech MA is the Assistant to the Dean and Student Advisor for the Master Programs run by the Arts, Health and Society Division of EGS.  She is a registered psychotherapist, Child Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Expressive Arts therapist.  She runs her own private practice and also works in different settlings with adults and children.  Over the last years she has worked hard with the Maltese Community to raise more awareness of the Expressive Arts practices and their impact within the therapeutic field and within the field of Education.  She also introduced the Expressive Arts in a school setting, running various projects with children.  Anna also co-facilitates the EXIT program that runs on campus in Malta.

Mylinda Baits

Mylinda currently works with International Ministries ABC-USA as a Global Consultant for Training using the Restorative Arts, sharing effective arts-based healing resources with social change agents, global peace builders, faith community leaders and trauma survivors. She has facilitated community art-making to accompany communities impacted by tragic loss, to promote expression, nurture peace building, empower change and sustain resiliency. Mylinda holds advance d facilitation certifications from Training for Conflict Transformation Trainers, Training for Change, Build A Bridge International, and EXIT (Expressive Arts in Transition). She has a BA in Behavioral Science, a Masters of Divinity and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Expressive Arts Therapy from the European Graduate School where she is currently a PhD candidate. She has been an ordained clergywoman for over 30 years.

Shabrae Jackson

Shabrae is a trained expressive arts educator working in communities impacted by challenge and crisis.  She is co-founder of UMBRAL, a Mexican-based organization engaged in arts-based psychosocial trauma and healing work; currently exploring the intersection of arts, sports and peace- building with LudArtem, and a Director of training for International based groups and organizations.  Shabrae is a certified coach and has facilitation certifications from Training for Conflict Transformation Trainers, and EXIT (Expressive Arts in Transition).  Shabrae has a BA in Social Work, a MA in Expressive Arts with a focus on conflict transformation and peace education from the European Graduate School (EGS) in Switzerland and a postgraduate degree in Sports for Peace from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Shabrae has recently began her doctoral process at EGS.

Elisabeth Yupanqui Werner and Heiko Kalmbach

Elisabeth Yupanqui Werner and Heiko Kalmbach participated in Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott’s EXIT Training at EGS Malta in 2017. They started implementing EXIT group work in Germany the year after. The same year Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott started supporting the two in training the first facilitators in southern Germany. Now in its second year, there is a growing network of German EXIT practitioners who are being trained and accompanied by the team.

Elisabeth Yupanqui Werner is a founding member of adis e.V., a collective leadership institution that focuses on empowerment and anti-discrimination work within organizational development, training and counseling. She works as a supervisor and coach (DGSv) with diverse teams and grassroots organizations. Her background lies in social work, adult education and psychodrama.

Heiko Kalmbach leads the Creative Development Hub at ICPA’s Strategic Communication’s Incubator in Berlin. With a background as a filmmaker, video artist and stage director, he teaches in the postgraduate programs of the Interprofessional Studio at the AA London and the scenography department at TU Berlin.