newsletter

Dramatherapy Scotland members will be excited to learn that Dramatherapy Scotland now has its own website up and running!! Check it out on :

www.dramatherapyscotland.freeserve.co.uk

Any entries or information for it is most welcome so please send it on down to Elinor Vettraino - new address on the front page.

This latest Scottish Arts Therapies Forum event

generated a positive turnout of around 40 people,

especially considering that 45 Arts Therapists

responded positively to considering research in a

survey carried out by Simon Willoughby-Booth (the

introductory speaker). The first main speaker was

Anthony Lee, Principal Research Fellow at Tavistock Clinic and University College London. He spoke with great clarity about the methodology of research and the compatability of qualitative and quantitative

methods of data collection. He is currently engaged in research which is wholly measured qualitatively and it will be interesting to see how that is received when it is completed. Amelia Oldfield (the second speaker) has worked as a music therapist in Cambridge and

having completed a number of research projects is

currently undertaking her PhD. Her research has

involved empirical and descriptive methodology also and she has spent many hours scrolling through video

footage analysing information! She spoke about the need to ensure that her judgements were objective and therefore the requirement for other people to

analyse the data to ensure this ‘fair test’ idea. All in all it was a fascinating exploration of the issues around research and certainly raised many questions and got participants thinking about possible research questions and ideas. Indeed in the SATF newsletter there is an article on the MHF/SATF cross-Scotland Arts Therapies Project showing that a number of Arts Therapists are already engaging in research

possibilities.

Dramatherapy Scotland would like to extend its thanks for such an interesting event and also to offer support for the next SATF event. Remember DTS members can get travel and fee subsidies to all of these events - all you have to do is ask! Contact Suzanne - DTS Secretary - for more information.

‘Integration and Innovation: A Strategic Health Care Framework for Tayside’ This document released in May 2001 outlines the current position in relation to Arts in Healthcare within Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust and makes recommendations for the development of the arts in primary care, providing options for a structure of support together with possible funding mechanisms. The key principles are that development of arts in healthcare will promote:

* an integrated approach - consultation and collaboration with hospital staff at all levels

* a person-centred approach - patients encouraged to explore own creativity

* an environmental approach - creative and personalising contributions to build and refurbishments

* a community building approach - engaging and benefiting hospital communities

* a partnership approach - multi-agency and internal team building

The key objective of this strategy is ‘to bring about a culture and climate of creativity in which the arts has a part to play in the holistic treatment of people’ (above document May 2001)

Response to Terrorist Attacks

Following the devastating terrorist attacks on the US on 11th September, DTS’s Chair in her role as BADTh’s International Sub-committee Convenor

e-mailed DTS and BADTh international contacts to

express sympathies. Happily the replies confirm that these people were safe and appreciated the overseas support.