About Empowerment Arts Initiative

What is Empowerment Arts?

Empowerment Arts offers a “process” oriented experience as well as skill development. Serving children, youth and adults that may or may not identify themselves as artists, dancers, actors, musicians, storytellers... Opportunities are offered to participate in meaningful, empowering expressive experiences in a supportive, nurturing and affirming environment. We are not alone in offering such experiences, though the focus of Empowerment Arts is more often on being creative in the moment, sometimes without a particular project or definitive visible outcome. The "arts" are used as an armature or structure to deliver the underlying purpose. The purpose depends on your population, their needs and the intention of the facilitator and specific program.

How the program developer and facilitator structure the offering is based on the needs and perceived goals of the participants. The design of the program addresses and utilizes themes, metaphors, archetypes and materials to support its intention. For example, when offering an exploration of motivation, awareness and accountability of aggression and violence, we might design a program for boys ages 6 - 9 about the knights of King Arthur (King Arthur Days). Instead of saying, "Violence is bad," we meet the boys where they are and explore aggressive drives in our Circle of the Bards, Roundtable Council, Code of Chivalry, and Sword Choreography. We tell Arthurian stories then we talk about the characters and archetypes and ask the question, "Why are the knights of the Roundtable and Chivalry so respected and well-remembered?" The facilitator then recounts the behavior and code of chivalry which is about mercy and honor and compassion. In Sword Choreography, we use small wooden swords with Renaissance music in a circle where the group is lead by the facilitator to do choreographed sword "dance". All the participants create a knight's tunic: First they decide on what qualities they want to embody as a knight (we look at examples of famous characters, animals and any current or legendary heroes that they relate to); then they decide on a name (i.e. Sir Ike the Dragon-Horse); then they decide on which qualities from the Code of Chivalry they want to focus on; in conclusion they put all this information in picture, symbol and word on the front of their knight's tunic.

Here is a working definition of empowerment: Doing something that serves the highest for yourself or others when it is easier or habitual to follow unhealthy or unfulfilling patterns of behavior. There is a line of tension between comfort and discomfort, a line of tension between doing something familiar or compelling to serve an unexamined or unhealthy situation or pattern in one’s life and making a conscious choice to serve a higher goal. Even if one doesn’t change a behavior, there can be an acceptance and decision to choose to do it instead of being victim to it. These are places where we can meet “empowerment”. When we step over that line and choose something supporting health and well-being, when we say “yes” to the expression of our greatest potential, we feel empowered.

This threshold experience is personal and universal. It could be something as private as writing in a journal or as public as singing in the local church. It is the place where we meet our greatest inspiration and our deepest fears. And though our little private victories and bravery are completely valid and meaningful, there is something magical or almost epic about being witnessed by others who also deeply know the courage it takes to step out of our comfort zone over that almost imperceptible threshold. Empowerment is freedom to choose something different. It doesn’t mean we always choose the “right” thing if we choose with an attitude of learning. We are free to choose the “wrong” thing, but we feel empowered when we know we are free to make that choice and we can choose to learn from it. We find peace when we freely choose what serves our personal highest in attunement with what’s highest for the community and the planet.

In working with groups, the group dynamic is an important ingredient to inform the design and intended outcome of the program. Groups provide excellent opportunities to work on communication, relationships and community building skills. To teach problem-solving, for example, one need only create a venue for the group to solve a problem. Activities can take the form of games, problem-solving group experiences and challenges as a playful part of the community puzzle. It is the finesse and skill of the program developer and facilitator to make sure that there is just enough challenge to provide a well-earned success instead of causing so much frustration and disappointment that the group never comes back.

Types of Modalities and Facilitators:
Visual Arts: Art therapists, educators, artists with Master’s degrees in Art therapy, Education and / Fine Arts

Movement Arts: Expressive / dance therapists, educators, dancers with Master’s degrees in Expressive therapies, Education and Dance

Music / Voice Arts: Music educators, musicians, chorus leaders with degrees in Education, Music, voice

Play-Theatre Arts / Storytelling: Drama therapists, educators, actors, storytellers with Master’s degrees in Drama Therapy, Education, Language Arts, Acting