Reflective Practice Gathering University of Limerick

2^nd International Reflective Practice Gathering

June 6^th-9^th, 2012

University of Limerick, Ireland

The idea of ‘Gathering’ is to bring people from diverse professional and artistic backgrounds together in community to explore and develop creative and dialogical ways of reflective conferencing across diverse disciplines and to gain insight into reflective practices. This 2^nd Gathering builds on the foundations of the 1^st Gathering in Zakynthos 2011.

Invitation is by accepted paper. As such, we invite people to submit papers around the themes of dialogue, reflective practice, narrative and performance. The papers should clearly identify the author’s key insights. Word limit 2000 words. We welcome all forms of artistic representation of reflective practice.

These papers will not actually be presented at the Gathering; rather the authors will work in small groups at the Gathering to collectively and creatively present their shared insights in dialogue with the Gathering audience.

Alongside these presentations, the Gathering will dialogue around the key themes. There will be a workshop on performance with Geert Niland, a theatre director from the Netherlands. We also welcome performances to be part of a one day rolling programme of performances open to the public directed by Dr Amanda Price. A draft programme is available www.attraversiamo.biz/events

Papers may be submitted for publication in the new online journal ‘Attraversiamo’. This journal has been established to publish in dialogue creative papers around the conference themes. The first volume is aimed to be published in January 2012 comprising papers developed from the 1^st Gathering in Zakynthos 2011. The journal will be published twice yearly. www.attraversiamo.biz.

Numbers for the Gathering is restricted for 30 people. The cost of the Gathering will be £120. This does not include meals or accommodation. Accommodation is within the University of Limerick at reasonable cost.

Application to attend with attached papers should be sent to Christopher Johns chris@attra.biz by January 6^th, 2012.

Research Explores Use of Role Play and Fabric Art with Medical Students in End of Life Care

The International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice IJCAIP is pleased to announce new peer reviewed research has just been published in November Issue # 10.

The November issue titled "The Fabric of Understanding, Medical Education, Fabric Art and End of Life Care, features research contributed by Andre Smith from The Department of Sociology, University of Victoria and explores the experiences of first and second year medical students who participated in a learning intervention that used fabric art and role playing to foster empathy in end of life care. The intervention draws on artwork by artist Deidre Scherer who depicts dying, death and grief in her work.

Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change book can now be pre-ordered at this website

“Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change”,
Editor, Cheryl McLean, Associate Editor, Robert Kelly, published by Detselig Enterprises, Calgary, is the second text in the CAIP research series and takes a global perspective featuring projects that have used the creative arts applied in research for community and cultural change. In this action oriented collection qualitative research and community based and participatory methods play a major role as well as other experiential approaches.

The articles in this second volume have been divided into four thematically related sections:

Part 1 Community Action and Education through Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice; Part 2 Images for Witness, Community Action in Disability and Health; Part 3 Arts Exploring Immigrant Experience and Cultural Identities; Part 4 Human Stories “from the outside in” for Community and Cultural Change.

Many of the researchers, artists, educators, participants and community members you will read about in these accounts strive for change by joining together in interdisciplinary projects to address the most fundamental of human needs, the need for healthy and safe communities with water to drink and air to breathe, the need for human expression and connection, the desire to be accepted and acknowledged as a human being of value and to voice their personal stories for witness whether it is from a stage, a study circle, a kitchen table or to be experienced at exhibits in public spaces in the photographs of a community of women, street workers, sharing images depicting stories of survival on the streets of the inner city.

Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change" is fundamentally a book about the arts in action and practice for hope and citizen empowerment, about people and communities making a difference through arts processes and democratic change. It may be true that we are shaped by culture and yet as is clearly evidenced by the articles in this book culture itself can be artfully shaped and re/formed within communities by the hands of the people who daily transform it.

Table of Contents

Featured Contributors

Editors

Read Excerpts from the book Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change

See Advance Book Previews and Contributor Quotes of Note

Featured contributors

Music for Relaxation

Soothing Relaxation Journeys

Narration: Dr. Amy Clements-Cortes, PhD, MusM, MTA

Music: Sincere Tung, BMT

This CD has been created to treat your mind and body to four relaxation journeys. Each track provides a short break from your daily life and stressors. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes in your daily life to enjoy one of the journeys.

Music Can Help You Reduce Stress

Across the centuries music has been used in combination with healing practices. For example in Ancient Greece, Apollo the God of music and medicine used music to force out disease and return a person to a state of unity and direction. Today music is used in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and clinics to help people confront a variety of problems such as pain and anxiety. Relaxing music such as the music on this CD facilitates slower heart and respiratory rates, thinking, and makes it possible for a person to reach a deeper level of rest and serenity. In this way music becomes a primary tool in relieving stress and calming the mind.

About the Creator of Soothing Relaxation Journeys

Amy Clements-Cortes began her career as a music therapist, performer, and vocal teacher. Her extensive clinical experience involves working with a variety of clients. She obtained her Masters and Doctoral Degrees from the University of Toronto and her work has been presented throughout the world at numerous conferences including: the World Federation of Music Therapy, European Music Therapy Congress, and the International Congress on Palliative Care. Her scholarly writings have been published in peer reviewed journals such as the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, Canadian Music Educator's Journal, and the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and she has produced several recordings: Episodes of Relationship, By the Shining Waters, Theracalm and Therasleep.

Clements-Cortes’ commitment to music therapy is evidenced in her volunteer work on several professional organizations: Canadian Association Board of Directors where she held the position of Internship Chair for 6 years and currently serves as the President; Room 217, and the World Federation of Music Therapy.

Visit www.notesbyamy.com for more information.