EMPEZARTE: ART THERAPY FOR KIDS
EMPEZARTE (ARTSTART), a non-profit organization within the ARTES studio in collaboration with Fundación Para El Apoyo Infantile / Foundation For Child Support (FAI) in San Miguel de Allende. Together, they will create scholarships for arts education, art therapy and creative life solutions for children and adolescents with special needs between the ages of 9 and 14 who will benefit from art therapy.
EMPEZARTE y Covid
Art therapy online
With the situation of the pandemic, we had to move the art therapy sessions to an online format. At the beginning it was a bit complex and stressful for the participating kids, but together with patience and dedication on the part of each one we reached a point where we could interact and help them, applying and restructuring the techniques required for this “new format”. They were able to feel the confidence and enjoyment of working together, which, although “online” kept them with a group feeling, which is one of the foundations of our art therapy program. We were also able to learn to communicate in this new system, which, however, was used a lot for entertainment before, it was very different in this particular case.
The exercises carried out were based mainly on the fact of being confined to their homes, with their relatives and the main purpose was that the kids could express their feelings about it, since for them it was very difficult to understand not being able to go out, no to be able to live with their classmates or friends, to be 24 hours a day with their parents, siblings and other relatives, something unusual in their daily life before the pandemic.
After the first weeks we were able to understand the best ways to help them, open communication channels and apply planned exercises according to the new lifestyle.
We work a lot with exercises that will awaken in them the sense of joy, enjoyment, coexistence, trying to support them to develop new habits that help them cope with this situation with less stress.
To this day we continue with this format and we will gradually enable the spaces that we have in our installations to be prepared for the return to the "new normality".
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Artistic and creative activities have long been recognized as some of the most important tools for human cognitive development. Art activity enhances social interaction, helps with trauma recovery and provides therapeutic assistance for a variety of psychological conditions. Painting has been proven to be one of the few links that can be established among individuals with certain conditions and observing students engaged in creative process is one of the most effective ways of assessing behavior.
EMPEZARTE offers a supportive, artistic environment and platform within the dynamic, multicultural and multigenerational environment of ARTES under the directorship of artist and master teacher, Oscar Aguirre and skilled therapist, Gabriela Osorio MTA, expert in Art Therapy. The objective is to help improve quality of life for students of different ages, in a variety of circumstances with or without some disability, by developing therapeutic, artistic projects and workshops designed to create and help generate self-esteem and enhance quality of life.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Empezarte -Art Start- is a non-profit NGO.
This project can only survive with your support, the children and adolescents participating in it will appreciate your help to become more tolerant and sensitive adults.
If you want to support us you can go to the next league and make your donation.
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EMPEZARTE, Oscar AguirreDone! Thank you so much!
Students in the EMPEZARTE art therapy program will attend more structured weekly workshops in the ARTES open studio during an initial pilot program designed in conjunction with FAI to augment what Aguirre has already established for children and adolescents. “I realized there were limited options in Centro, San Miguel for art classes for young people and no art therapy resources. There are talented kids, but many lack funds to purchase materials and pay for instruction. So we’re going to make that happen.”
A couple years ago, Aguirre started an ad-hoc scholarship fund with art lessons for talented young people– often out of his own pocket– or turned to generous members of ARTES studio for additional support. EMPEZARTE will formalize the financial aid system with its non-profit, art-therapy program through donations.
“There’s an especially dynamic interchange and mix here,” says Aguirre, enthusiastically. “And the developmental and therapeutic benefits of arts education are amazing. Students at all ages, levels and backgrounds work together– San Miguel residents, seasonal visitors, Mexicans, people from the international community– we’re all creating side by side.” The dynamic result is a rich learning environment where ARTES Open Studio members are free to explore a wide range of creative expression in a cosmopolitan climate.
“It’s a positive experience for all of us,” says Aguirre, underestimating his contribution to cultural exchange and educational initiative in the San Miguel community. A San Miguel resident for nearly 25 years, he has taught painting and sculpture to students of all ages and conducted innumerable workshops and arts-education events throughout San Miguel and other cities. Formally trained in classical technique with a Masters in museography, he taught sculpture at the Centro Cultural El Nigromante, Bellas Artes, San Miguel for ten years, and served as Co-Director of Kunst Haus Gallery/Santa Fe, SMA. He has exhibited widely and curated exhibitions in museums throughout Mexico, the United States, Europe, and other prestigious venues.
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