Art Therapy for Adults with Learning Disabilities

Relational Aesthetics

Relational Aesthetics is a term created by curator Nicolas Bourriaud in the 1990s to describe the tendency to make art based on, or inspired by, human relations and their social context. On learning more about this, particularly in Catherine Hyland-Moon’s chapter in Judith Aaron Rubin’s book ‘Approaches to Art Therapy’ I have come to understand that when we worked with participants in different settings at ActionSpace, we were working with Relational Aesthetics. Hyland-Moon writes about creating an open studio group in a Men’s homeless shelter.  She explains that at first moving art materials around and setting up seemed like a task that had to be done. However it became obvious as time went on the benefits of building these aesthetics in the environment, and how it created patterns of connection. Hyland-Moon goes on to talk about that her presence in the shelter:

Setting up a collective space for art making and conversation was also about creating patterns of conversation. All these small acts countered the experiences of alienation and economic apartheid’. She adds ‘You may not think of these small acts of resistance and change as art therapy but I see their relational value and think about how I might involve others I work with in more meaningful relationally enhancing ways. (Hyland-Moon in Rubin, 2016)

I can similarities between Hyland-Moon’s experiences at the men’s shelter and my facilitating ‘Art as Therapy’ in day centres.

At the start of any project, we would work with social workers regarding suitable clients to join the group. For the clients with high support needs this meant that a group was six participants at most. Myself, assistants and trained support workers could therefore assist each client to fully benefit from each session.

Small day centres had around twelve clients, and in the recreational spaces we used it was difficult to not include everyone. Clients outside of the group become part of the session. Whether this was helping to set up, making tea, or observing group activities. It became quite evident that our visits to the day centres were also beneficial to those who were not participating directly in art. It was a regular occurrence that some clients then asked if they could join the group.

‘Peperfield’ was in a small council-run day centre in a multi-culturally diverse, mixed-income area in Central London. When the group launched in 2012; our initial clients were six, part-verbal and non-verbal adults. The adults had fairly high support needs, which was why the group was small. It became apparent after our first session that in the large communal area where the sessions were held, the remaining clients were very interested in our presence, and activities.

The remaining clients were all non-verbal with very high support needs. However, their obvious interest in us being there instigated a new way of working for us: inclusion for everyone. Unable to make their own art we decided to alter the environment for the remaining clients. We changed the space within the space. The whole day centre could then join in with our sessions on some level if they chose to. Using lights, coloured cellophane, fabric, music and art created by other participants we would transform a section of the main room each week; packing it away at the end until the next session.

It became evident that even those who were thought of as ‘not being able to join in, could. With observation and awareness, we could work out the client’s favourite colours, shapes, and sounds. We created simple activities that they could join in with. The sessions became inclusive for all, and more than ever, the relationships became just as important as the art making’.

If I had to sum it up I would say that relational aesthetics informs every aspect of my work with clients because the relationship is central to the art making process (Hyland-Moon, in Rubin p62 2012)

The art studio or open space becomes a fully supported place where the artists can safely explore, let go and feel safe. In the beginning, they may be involved in ‘Free Play’; unstructured play which is creative and improvised. Indeed for much of the time working with adults with learning disabilities there was a lot of free play, improvisation and flexibility, and absolute awareness of the artist too, where they were emotionally in each session. This could differ very much from week to week. Author of ‘Free Play’ (Steve Nachmanovitch 1991) talks about the importance of becoming absorbed in art making and ‘disappearing’. For many of the artists I worked with, having the time to let go, create, and ‘disappear’ while in a safe, nurtured environment was an important part of the art-making process.

Some of the artists I have worked with created art which directly expressed part of their life; interests, relationships, environment or situations which brought them happiness or distress. Simple conversations stimulated by a problem could sometimes open the way for the artist to find a new direction with their work. After learning about Mind Mapping. (Grey p76 2019) I realise that a variation on this process was something that I had used when working with artists who were able to vocalise their some of thoughts and feelings within the framework of recurring and current issues.

Patrick, an artist with a limited vocabulary joined one of my studio groups. Patrick loved his iPad, headphones, and making collages from printed images. However, he became lost in his own world and would not communicate with those around him. It was agreed that we would try other materials for Patrick to explore, keeping the iPad away from the studio. Patrick started creating collages with tactile materials. He was engaged but it felt like he was never fully absorbed with these activities.

One Monday morning, Patrick arrived at the session very upset. He tried to vocalise what he wanted to say but we couldn’t fully understand him. He became frustrated. He suddenly picked up a pen and started writing on the table: ‘Respite, pillow, shout, angry, slam door’.

No one had any idea that Patrick could write or spell. After some time putting together the written words and Patrick trying to explain, we were able to piece together his story:

Patrick had come to the session from respite. He had removed a pillow from another client’s bed because someone had taken his pillow. He said told off and shouted at. This had made him angry and he had slammed his door.

Writing these words down became a way for Patrick to release his frustration, and it introduced a new direction into his art making that he loved. From then on Patrick chose to create artworks completely around his life experiences, whether they were places he lived as a child, to events that had happened that day. Patrick was not only able to express himself through his art, his art making became an outlet for him to release his frustrations and worries.  We developed a process in which Patrick could engage more with those who supported him. We decided that whoever worked with Patrick would write the words that Patrick dictated into a notebook. This not only initiated a conversation between Patrick and the support, but it also became a reference for Patrick’s artworks.

Patrick produced many books and later created a sound installation where he read out the words from his books. This became part of a major exhibition piece alongside his hanging artworks.