Art Thrapy(Stigmatized drawing)

Based on the activities of the foundation regarding stigma within its services for psychological rehabilitation of prisoners through a number of activities in the framework of implementing the project “Towards the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners to society with a focus on female prisoners.”

Rasha Al Saheely, an art therapist in the foundation, has conducted an art therapy workshop to prevent stigma in Alexandria’s branch of the foundation to find out the effect of stigma on the interaction patterns between these individuals and others (eg: how they look at themselves and how they are seen by the rest of the society)

From this point of view, art played a major role in developing and enriching the communication process and creating a relationship between the individual and the artistic group.

The workshop consists of two parts: the first part is a drawing, the second part is a simple activity in which the cases cover their eyes and hold a long rope and try to make geometric shapes with the rope while they are blindfolded such as a square or a triangle.

The workshop has several objectives:

• Develop self awareness for the cases so they are able to produce beautiful and distinct work.
• Launching the expressive and emotional sense in the cases through the development of interaction between them and the work of art.
• Expressing opinions and ideas about society’s view of them.
• Develop communication between the individual and the surrounding people.

It also has several strategies:

• Clairvoyance.
• Emotional discharge.
• Imagination.

The workshop resulted in:

• The cases reacted enthusiastically to the activities and were forthcoming in drawing and colours.
• The occurrence of emotional participation between cases and expressing their opinion in the drawings of others.
• The difference between the view of others with their own and to see that the view of others is incorrect.
• The workshop was an entertaining event where they felt happy and changed their mood