The Cork Art Therapy Summer School

Art Therapy - as a response to a need for a deeper register of expression – fuses aspects of the disciplines of Modern Art, Outsider Art and Art Education together with Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy to provide practical mental and physical health benefits for practitioners. Art Therapy was a largely underappreciated concept and so the Crawford College of Art and Design was particularly well-placed to respond to this gap in the market. The annual Cork Art Therapy Summer School welcomes those with an interest in the therapeutic potential of art to Ireland’s second city, providing them with a unique opportunity to learn about and immerse themselves in the Art Therapy process in the conducive setting offered by a designated UNESCO City of Learning and World Health Organisation Healthy City. Over the course of a week, a series of related lectures, seminars and experiential workshops, facilitated by visiting art therapists, from Ireland and further afield, provide a context for the current practice of art therapy through engaging with and developing a personal understanding of the creative processes – through reflective learning – in a series of studio based workshops. For some this summer school may be the first step on the road to a career in Art Therapy supports and services. For others, it may be an opportunity to re-engage with their creative identity. For trainee and qualified therapists, it may provide continuing professional development.