INDIA: Finding new mediums to explore mental health: Creative initiatives by Namma women
"Discussions surrounding mental health have always been treated as taboo subjects in Indian households. The pandemic made a large part of society realise the unsaid truth. Locked indoors, a lot of us were coping with depression, anxiety, or loneliness in our own ways, but some not as well as others. However, the upshot, if any, is that we are discussing mental health now more actively than ever. Artistes, social workers, and mental health professionals are using new avenues including social media platforms to initiate a more democratic, accessible conversation around the subject"... [...]One of them is Bangalore-based drama therapist and founder of Svāhā Space Shravanthi Venkatesh.
"Drawing from their training in both theatre and therapy, drama therapists create methods to engage clients in effecting psychological, emotional, and social changes. “In a way, we are both artistes and clinicians,” she says
Stories, myths, texts, puppetry, games, masks, and improvisation are examples of the range of artistic interventions a drama therapist may employ. These enable the client to explore difficult and painful life experiences through an indirect approach.
“This form of therapy helps in trauma-induced disorders. The body works in different ways when it comes to such experiences. It works very well with children as they are, in most cases, unable to articulate well. Here, drama therapy becomes a light-medium to engage them. It is also very helpful for elderly, dementia patients, people with special needs, and the non-verbal population,” she says. [...]
Shravanthi, is currently working with Hasiru Dala, an NGO, on a project focusing on children from underprivileged sections of society alongside other creative-arts therapists (CAT) and practitioners. She also collaborates with fellow CATs and artistes for workshops or sessions.
To read more about Shravanti and other practitioners working in the intersections of arts, mental health and social media in India read the full article by Anagha Unnikrishnan for the Times of India here
