NIKUT holder internasjonal minikonferanse på Zoom.
Norsk Institutt for Kunstuttrykk og Kommunikasjon / The Norwegian Institute of Expressive Arts & Communication.
EXIT – expressive arts in transition
NIKUT invites you to our next International Mini conference about EXIT on Zoom Friday the 18th of September
NIKUT is arranging this event and is hosting 10 international guest lecturers to present their work with EXIT. Melinda Meyer is hosting the event.
When: Friday, September 18th 3 -8.30 pm (Norwegian time)
To attend this Mini conference, please go to NIKUT’s homepage to get the zoomlink: Visit Nikut here.
AN INTERNATIONAL MINI CONFERENCE ABOUT
EXIT
EXPRESSIVE ARTS IN TRANSITION
This mini conference is about a group intervention manual (EXIT) for coping with severe stress during and after collective and individual traumatic events. This manual has been implemented with different target groups. Originally the research was carried out with unaccompanied refugee boys. There was a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms and increase in life quality in the EXIT group compared with the control group over time.
The manual focus on stabilization, safety, connection, engagement, empowerment recourses and hope.
The purpose of this mini conference is to give the participants a “window” into different contexts and populations where EXIT has been carried out.
The EXIT research has been published in several peer reviewed scientific journals.
Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott
Melinda A. Meyer is the host of this event. Melinda is the leader and co-founder of the Norwegian Institute of Expressive Arts & Communication, professor at the European Graduate School (EGS) and leader and founder of the EXIT program. Meyer holds a MA and PhD in Expressive Arts. She is a senior professor at the University of South-East Norway. She is a Psychodrama and Bioenergetic Therapist.
PROGRAM:
3.00 PM Welcome by Melinda A. Meyer
3.10- 3.30 PM Shabrae Jackson:
“Imagination as a Radical Act – how EXIT activates healing capacities in communities”
3.40- 4.20 PM Mylinda Baits & Claire Baldry:
“Structured for Spontaneity: EXIT with Senior Adult Women Living with Loss”
4.30- 4.50 PM Heidi Hansen:
“Trauma and drug addiction treatment in groups”
A summary of an experience with using EXIT in group trauma treatment with a drug addicted population with early traumatization
5.00- 5.20 PM To be announced!
30 MIN BREAK
5.50- 6.30 PM Marga Fripp & Agnès Aubert:
“EXIT for a New Paradigm: Reimagining a Safe Self in Times of Transition and Confinement, Finding New Spaces to Play, Hope and Let Go”
6.40- 7.40 PM Emma Uebele, Destiny Sophia Gagiano & Deqa Abshir:
“Expansion: Transition in Transition”
7.50- 8.20 PM PANEL DEBATE
20.20-20.30 PM Farewell by Melinda
OUR INTERNATIONAL LECTURERS:
SHABRAE JACKSON KRIEG:
“Imagination as a Radical Act – how EXIT activates healing capacities in communities”.
Shabrae Jackson Krieg is an Expressive Arts Educator for Peacebuilding and Social Change, Director of Training.
Shabrae is a trained expressive arts educator working in communities impacted by 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 has a BA in Social Work from Anderson University, 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.
MYLINDA BAITS & CLAIRE BALDRY:
“Structured for Spontaneity:
EXIT with Senior Adult Women Living with Loss”
Mylinda Baits; Global Consultant for Training with the Restorative Arts, International Ministries ABC-USA
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. She is currently co-facilitating and accompanying two EXIT groups, one in the US with senior adult women living with loss and one with Cuban community leaders supporting and accompanying the family members of 80 plane crash victims .Mylinda holds advanced 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.
Claire Baldry is currently in her second year of training for a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy at the European Graduate School. Her internships last year took her to Nepal where she co facilitated a workshop bringing tools to community leaders for resilience and arts based healing resources. She gained a certificate for facilitation in EXIT (Expressive Arts in Transition) which she has been co facilitating and implementing in the US with senior adult women living with loss. She has a background in Musical Theatre and is about to embark upon the role of activities coordinator for adults living with Dementia in residential care in the UK where she is currently based.
HEIDI HANSEN:
“TRAUMA AND DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT IN GROUPS”
A summary of an experience with using EXIT in group trauma treatment with a drug addicted population with early traumatization.
Heidi Hansen is a nurse specialized in occupational health and expressive art therapy.
Heidi Hansen has worked with an EXIT group in a daycare clinic for drug abuse and general mental disorders in Baerum, Norway. Heidi will lecture about an EXIT group that took place in May and June this year. The group were guided by Heidi and Hanne Reichelt (specialist in psychology/former clinic leader).
Both Hanne and Heidi did participate in the program on Malta. Both of them have for some time been thinking of how they could offer the most vulnerable patients better conditions regarding treatment. Is it possible to focus and find resources in groups with heavy disorders from childhood, and being in a state of «low skill»? It is well known that the drop-out from treatment is high in this group, and relapses are the most common. Group treatment has not been recommended, as they don`t show up, or disturbe the group if they do. Heidi has several years of experience in building up and guide EXIT groups for refugees together with EXA students from University in south of Norway (USN).
AGNÈS AUBERT & MARGA FRIPP:
“EXIT for a New Paradigm:
Reimagining a Safe Self in Times of Transition and Confinement, Finding New Spaces to Play, Hope and Let Go.”
Agnès Aubert is the founder and managing director of ART FOR PEACE ,( PEACE https://www.art-for-peace.com/) a certified clinical art therapist specialized in dance and body expression therapy.
Accredited by APSAT, ARAET and ARTECURA, Swiss Organizations for Art therapy and certified by ASCA, Swiss Health Institution for Complementary Medicines which allows art therapy beneficiaries to be paid back by most health insurances. Since 2009, she works with NGOs and government institutions in the art therapy field, leading art therapy workshops and managing art education programs in Europe and in the Middle East. As a performer and a visual artist, Agnès is always driven on discovering new art forms that could serve greater humanitarian causes.
Marga Fripp is the Chief Pollinator of Good at What Matters Institute. (https://www.whatmattersinstitute.org/ ) She is an expressive art therapist, artist and a lifelong women’s empowerment social entrepreneur.
Marga has over twenty-five years of experience empowering women and leading change working with immigrants, refugees, domestic violence and trauma survivors in the U.S. and around the world. Marga has founded and led two non-profit organizations – Empowered Women International, serving the Washington D.C. Metro Area, and the Association for the Promotion of Women, Romania. Through a creative blend of art- making, bodywork and mindfulness, she empowers participants to uncover their own generative resources for reducing stress, anxiety and burnout, healing old traumas and recovering joy. Her workshops and retreats are geared to working professionals, leaders, educators, caregivers as well as to communities in need including migrants and survivors.
Marga is a TEDx Speaker 2013, and serves as a U.S. Speaker with the U.S. Department of State, training and speaking globally on women’s empowerment, leadership and entrepreneurship. She holds a B.A. in Communication/Journalism from the University of Maryland University College, USA. She has an M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy with a minor in Psychology and concentration in Expressive Arts Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding from the European Graduate School, Switzerland. Marga completed training programs with the Mindful Schools and the Center for Mindfulness Self-Compassion, USA. She is married to Jesse Fripp and has two amazing children, Geanina and Arthur. She recently returned to the U.S. after a 5-year stint in Geneva, Switzerland.
EMMA UEBELE, DEQA ABSHIR & DESTINY SOPHIA GAGIANO:
“Expansion: Transition in Transition”
Emma is a native of Portland, Oregon, USA, Emma holds a Master’s Degree in Expressive Arts for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding from the European Graduate School and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Communications from American University in Washington, DC. Emma is also an EXIT trained facilitator and therapeutic Pilates instructor. Integrating these fields, she understands the body, mind, and spirit and partners is health.
As an expressive arts practitioner and consultant Emma runs international groups and facilitates workshops that center around body and arts-based responses to trauma. Through these experiences and working alongside a wide range of other mental health and humanitarian professionals she has a deep appreciation for the consequences of working in a context of trauma. Emma’s work also extends to these practitioners coming alongside to cultivate rhythms of care and to help sustain wellbeing while engaged in this work.
Destiny Sophia Gagiano, M.A – Bio EXIT Lecture 2020. Destiny Sophia Gagiano is a global citizen, visual artist and lover of humanity.
“I have had many careers but with Expressive Arts I feel like I am home. I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and creativity has been a constant stream in my life ever since I can remember. I am an Expressive Arts Practitioner, a therapeutic art life coach, a creative facilitator and an E.X.I.T trained facilitator (Expressive Arts in Transition). I had my own art studio specializing in painting workshops for both kids and adults. I also have experience in other fields such as working as a private chef and sailing on the international circuit for many years. I have a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy.
I believe in the power of art for change, process and development. Expressive Arts gives us the creative license to access what we already know. We can nurture the inner child where imagination helps us find creative and empowering solutions to our challenges. I have settled in Geneva, Switzerland.”
Deqa Abshir is a Somali Kenyan artist and community organizer, currently residing in Nairobi, Kenya. Deqa is currently pursuing a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy, with a focus on Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding, and a minor in Psychology from the European Graduate School. She received a Post Graduate in Education from the University of Nottingham in 2013 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Women’s Studies from Hunter College, The City University of New York in 2006. Deqa is also an EXIT trained facilitator and has extensive experience working with displaced and immigrate communities around the world.
Deqa works primarily with the Somali community who are spread across the world as a result of decades of war. Her work is focused on helping communities cope with PTSD and adjust to the realities of displacement. Her art and education background have played a central role in designing curriculums for communities and schools that are centered in SEL and psycho-social support. Deqa alongside her co-facilitator carried out the first EXIT workshop in Kenya. This was held in Eastleigh, a predominantly Somali community. Deqa has been working with this community for over 10 years.
