The researcher, Hamid Ayoub, also has experience facilitating several Art Hives in Montreal, (in person and virtually) and has facilitated culturally focused Art Hives for Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. The researcher learned to play African djembe drum at age seven and became a Master of it, drumming for many cultural events in the community, schools and sharing the sacredness of the African drum to enrich Art Hive sessions and contributing to the diversity of the creative environment. He is a proponent of African indigenous knowledge systems, collectivist worldview, and African artistic aptitude, thus bringing his passion for traditional music and spirituality to Western individualistic perspectives.
Practicum with young adults
The researcher developed and interest for working with youth through many years of facilitating art class for youth at risk in Ottawa and the surrounding area. He noted that the high level of expectations society placed on youth and in particular youth from different cultural backgrounds, seemed to cause challenging behaviours due to the pressures of the social system. He witnessed that when there was an absence of role models they can relate to, or when youth were unable to meet societal expectations, they felt ashamed and sought external sources of belonging. These external pressures translated into stress and anxiety, bullying, and drug use, eventually leading to incarceration or hospitalization. Additionally, youth with mental health challenges or diagnosed with intellectual disabilities tend to act out due to a lack of after school extracurricular activities, programs and services, making them unable to engage in the community as functioning citizens. The researcher recommends that should be programs and opportunities that young adults can engage in with their peers and people other than their family in order to socialize in a space where there is inclusion and belonging, such as Community Open Studios (Art Hives).
A twelve -week art intervention was designed to help the healing process of young adults who have been hospitalized, admitted to a forensic, or reformatory institution with mental health challenges. Guided by the principles of various art therapy approaches, including humanistic, psychodynamic, expressive therapy continuum (ETC), gestalt, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and rational behaviour therapy. The author incorporates a variety of art materials and art-based intervention strategies for art therapist or community open studio facilitator to follow. The art intervention is reconstructed to meet the needs of the target population, utilizing 90-minute sessions. The author adapts the intervention according to several years of experience as an international artist, fine arts instructor, a community-engaged artist, with practical experience working specifically with young adults as a Master of Art Therapy candidate. The project discusses the cost-effectiveness of art therapy and the gap in the literature regarding art interventions for anxiety, depression, aggression, low self-esteem, communication, and social interactions, which are common among young adults. The project suggests future art therapy could benefit from culturally responsive approach and culturally diverse participant and facilitators’ engagement.