Arts-based methodologies crucial in mental health advocacy
AFRIREMEDY Arts for Development Trust, an organisation that uses media and performances to deepen dialogue around pertinent issue, will host a conference-festival in Harare to address mental health issues, organisers have said.
The conference dubbed Use of theatre arts and media practices in promoting good health in Zimbabwe will run from June 28 to 29 and will provide an intersection between arts and health, aiming to explore the transformative power of arts in promoting mental, emotional and physical wellness.
Event co-ordinator Ashley Jim said: “The event will bring together artists, healthcare professionals, researchers, students and policymakers to engage in meaningful conversations, share innovative practices and foster collaborations that can positively impact on individual and community health.”
She added that the conference-festival was a culmination of the Afriremedy Play Theatre project which was a series of workshops that focused on how applied arts could be used for awareness and advocacy for mental health as well as managing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Jim also noted that the conference will provide a platform for pioneers in the fields of arts, healthcare research and policy to share insights, exchange ideas and explore the vast potential that lies at the intersection of creativity and health.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style ahead of the conference, Jim said the initiative was motivated by the fact that the country had made significant strides through engaging in dialogue around mental health by enforcing policies, programmes, among others, but not much has been done towards the use of artsbased methodologies in mental health advocacy.
The conference will be made up of a series of activities related to the promotion of good mental health that include interactive workshops, paper presentations, panel discussions, arts-based mental health workshops, networking opportunities among, others.