This Issue Young people combating violence International ers Workshop for Train
1 A Space to Speak Up
A Space to Speak Up 2
Contents Welcome to the first issue of A Space to Speak Up! This magazine is the first of at least four editions in which the Transpace project will provide a showcase for what its participants are doing and achieving. Transpace is for young people with special needs, who suffer violence and aggression in their everyday life. It aims to give them the tools to combat this behaviour. The project’s lead partner, Fundacion Intras, explains more page 3. We will focus mostly on what the young people in the project want to say and show about what they are doing. Most of what you will read will be their stories, reflections, photos, images and observations of what they have been experiencing and learning. The youngsters will even be staging an Art Exhibition in 2014 to express their creativity. Regular features will profile the partner organisations and also some of the trainers with whom the young people will be working. Each edition will also give a platform to partners and stakeholders to raise and discuss an issue that is relevant to what we are doing A regular feature will be a comic strip style of story. It does not need to be sophisticated, as you see in this issue, and we encourage our youngsters to have a go.
What is the Transpace project? Victims and Violence: the research into aggression and violence
18
Trainer Profile: Martin
3
19 Shaping up for rs Transpace – the traine workshop in Sofia
4 - 15
16 - 17 Partner Profile: pro mente Upper Austria
Trainer Profile: Sabine
- 21
23
Pages 24 to 25
Partner Profile: Fundacion Intras Young peoples’ workshop in Spain
24 - 25 26
Cartoons and Comic Strips - young people tell us how they feel
27 - 28
What’s coming up
29
A Space to Speak Up will be available in all partner languages – Bulgarian, English, German, Hungarian, Italian, and Spanish as pdfs from the Transpace web site www.transpaceproject.eu But this is just our 1st Issue. We need your help and advice to develop and improve. Roy Smith
Production team
Editor – Roy Smith Design and graphics – The MRS Consultancy Illustrations and editorial assistant – Jack Robert Smith
We would like to hear from you, the readers, about what you thought of our magazine – and – do you have anything that might help us spread our message.
If so email Roy Smith at info@transpaceproject.eu
Pages 19 to 21
Things are GO!
3 A Space to Speak Up
Transpace is a European partnership funded under the Daphne programme of the European Community Directorate – General Justice. It came into being in response to a growing concern at the widespread and varied types of violence experienced by children and young people living with mental health difficulties. The core aim of the Transpace project is to equip its young people with the tools to effectively combat the violence perpetrated against them in their daily lives.
engage with non-violent
conflict resolution
The programme focuses on the use of space as a fluid and positive concept which will allow the young people to develop an intermediate space between their inner reality and the outside world. They can then use the space to engage with non-violent conflict resolution, divergent thinking, social interaction, self-reflection and growth. The programme has been put together by listening to what some of the young people affected by this violence have shared about their experiences and worries. The programme also uses the various cross disciplinary skills and methodologies which are available from the each of the European partners. With the conclusion of Transpace, the young people will have been given an opportunity to accept for themselves that they should be proud of managing difficulties that other young people their age may not have to face. They will appreciate that it takes strength of character to ask for and accept support. They will be aware that they have control over how they conduct themselves and now they will be equipped to positively deal with aggressive behaviour and bullying, and as a result feel both assertive and empowered. Fundacion Intras Sara Marcos Ispierto Project Manager Intras Foundation
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Victims and Violence
A Study of Aggression Victimisation among Children and Youngsters with Special Needs By Sara Tement, Bojan Musil, Ajda Šoštarič and Karin Bakračevič Vukman
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of aggression among young people with special needs. We compared the prevalence rate between the different countries taking part in the Transpace project and enhanced our understanding by interviewing with the youngsters. Our understanding of the dynamics of aggressive acts and the responses of victims has helped the project construct an innovative Methodology to use in helping young people to develop tools to combat aggression. The following article highlights some of our key work but if you want to know more the full research report is available on www.transpaceproject.eu/publications
How we did it The study team drew upon extensive theoretical work in the area to develop a questionnaire - the Aggression Victimization Instrument. This tool was carefully translated from English into German, Spanish, Bulgarian, Italian and Hungarian and applied in six European countries during May and June 2013 Some of the University of Maribor Department of Psychology team who compiled and wrote the report
The study team drew upon extensive theoretical work in the area to develop a questionnaire the Aggression Victimization Instrument. This tool was carefully translated from English into German, Spanish, Bulgarian, Italian and Hungarian and applied in six European countries during May and June 2013. The work was led by the Department of Psychology, University of Maribor, Slovenia with the field research undertaken by Transpace’s partners.
5 A Space to Speak Up
This is what is happening and why What we mean by violent and aggressive acts
We are defining violence or aggressive acts or bullying at school as phenomena where a person is “exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons” and “when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways” (Olweus, 1993). So what we mean about aggressive acts is not a single event but prolonged exposure – and it can be different in different contexts.
Violence in a School Context
Physical aggression is characterized by direct physical violence against others in terms of pushing, hitting or kicking.
Verbal aggression can be defined as a negative attitude toward someone expressed directly by content (e.g., saying hurtful things and calling mean names) and style of speech (e.g., yelling at someone or threatening him). Relational aggression, is more indirect and includes purposeful manipulation and attempts to harm another child’s or young adults’ friendships or feeling of inclusion by peer group (e.g., encouraging others not to be friends with school mates or other children, spreading lies). Cyber-bullying: “aggression that occurs through personal computers (e.g., e-mail and instant messaging) or cell phones (e.g., text messaging)”.
Violence in a Family Context:
Psychological victimization is characterized by saying or doing things that make the child or adolescent feel embarrassed, ashamed or bad. Neglect encompasses a lack of appropriate care for the child or adolescent as well as ignoring the child’s or adolescent’s needs. The study focused on children who actually identified themselves as victims of aggressive acts. Interviews with these youngsters discussed situations in which aggressive acts occur (school and family environment), the victims’ perceptions of such situation, on victims’ self-esteem as well as general well-being. From these interviews a deeper insight is gained into subjective realities of youngsters, experiencing violence.
Nine thematic frameworks and one meta-theme or overarching framework emerged:
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Low self esteem
Low self-esteem seems to be the most prevalent and the most complex problem that the interviewees are reporting either openly or tacitly. This could be considered as the neuralgic point that somehow silently lies at the heart of most violence-related reasons or consequences. The problem seems to be widely present with children who suffer from one or several forms of peer violence and seems highly correlated with depressive moods, anxiety attacks, shame and even self-injury.
Experience: Seb admittedly has very low selfesteem, which seems to be the root cause for his inability to fend off the aggressors in his life. Had he acquired a mechanism to help him increase his self-esteem, his ability to cope with intrusions in his space would most likely
increase as well.
The key challenge in tackling the problem of low self-esteem and the subsequent “victim behaviour� is to bring forth a tool for these children to think themselves, articulate themselves, reflect upon themselves and assert themselves.
7 A Space to Speak Up
Everybody’s picking on me This theme is extremely common and highly important because it introduces the factor of group dynamics and its function in perpetrating violence against an isolated victim. Numerous reports of a group of youngsters bullying, molesting or ridiculing one youngster indicate that this is a major theme to be tackled in any possible intervention.
The main point to be addressed here is the helplessness of an individual confronted by faceless collective aggression, namely how can one protect oneself against a mass of mutually encouraging individuals, who are being socially and otherwise protected by the anonymous character of a large group?
Experience: Loretta seems to be having a bit of a hard time with her schoolmates; she reports several acts incidents that seem to have happened at school. Some classmates once dragged down her pants, and then there was another incident with having her school bag hidden away and, finally, she says others are gossiping about her behind her back. She says she doesn’t feel fine in the classroom, because there are too many intrigues and quarrels going on there.
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Rumour has it... Another major theme perceived as a powerful source of violent incidents amongst children and youngsters is the intentional spreading of rumours. Rumours are not physically violent compared with a heavy punch in one's face, but nevertheless may they have an immensely destructive influence on one's life and in this respect can be considered as clearly violent.
Experience:
When Anna was moving from one place to another, a false rumour started circling around that she stole or broke something and that this was the reason for her going away. This false rumour made her very upset, even to the point of getting a new phone number in order to completely break contact with everyone. What seems positive about Anna’s attitude towards the problem is that she tried confronting the people, who were spreading the rumour, but they didn’t show up, and she now retrospectively sees them as cowards for that reason.
9 A Space to Speak Up
Being a Ghost Another theme of violence that seems to arise over and over again in several interviews is intentional, active and harsh social exclusion: several youngsters report being completely excluded from social groups. Social exclusion
Experience:
Joe seems to lack a true place of his own, a space he would clearly inhabit and speak from. He complains about not being included in peer groups and not being listened to when he tries to speak, thus residing in an invisible space, which does not allow one to produce sounds or images. Furthermore, Joe’s invisibility extends also to his family life, where he is not invited to take part in family decisions and has to share his mum with 4 other younger siblings, which evokes the feelings of guilt he has to deal with subsequently.
thus generally works as an additional ostracizing mechanism that accompanies other acts of violence and reconfirms the status of the victim as the helpless, isolated subject.
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Experience:
Escapism
Patricia admits that sometimes she desires to be far, far away, especially when she cannot find the way. Apparently this sometimes happens at work.
Escapism is an important violence-related theme, since it stretches well beyond violent incidents and thus functions as a coping mechanism for life in general rather than a specifically narrow defence mechanism against violence in particular. Running off, shutting out the world or pressing a mental “off� button frequently comes up with youngsters as a reaction to violence.
Escapism should be considered as much more than just mentally shutting oneself out of a violent scene. It is a mode of being and as such it functions as a crippling defence against reality; against letting life happen; against feeling life as it happens; and against letting oneself build something meaningful by insisting and experiencing the ups and downs of reality.
11 A Space to Speak Up
The
Subversive Power of Humour This theme is different from previous ones, since it doesn’t report a particular type of violent incident, but suggests a very lucid, plausible and highly creative solution for it. For this reason, it seems an important theme to include, even though merely three interviewees have mentioned it. Each of them in their own manner suggested that they would like to respond to violent episodes with humour instead of saying nothing. Applying humour as a defensive shield against aggression therefore doesn‘t aim at keeping the victim unharmed, but goes much further by penetrating the attacker‘s space and changing its structure. A victim becomes an active agent in responding to violence, thus making that crucial step from being an object (of aggression) to being a subject (of action against aggression).
Experience:
Boris says that he would like to respond to violence with humour, but when he‘s in the middle of the violent whirlwind, he cannot think of anything funny to say. Afterwards sentences or words come to his mind.
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Physical Violence Unchallenged There have been a couple of reports of serious forms of physical violence. The emphasis in any intervention should be placed on training the group‘s sensibility for the intolerable nature of physical violence and the subsequent responsibility of every individual to intervene in acts of such violence to try and stop them.
Experience: Classmates are beating up Katy regularly and she doesn’t know the reason why. There also seems to have been an incident at home, where her stepfather poured some warm liquid over her and her sister burnt her with a hot spoon. Whether both of these actions were conducted intentionally or not is not clear from the interview.
13 A Space to Speak Up
The (Self-) Aggressor?
Experience:
Anton admits having hit a boy and injured his head very badly, because the boy called him and his mother names. Anton does hint to having certain potentially aggressive tendencies, such as saying that he’s not always in a good mood, especially when people aren’t nice to him and that he sometimes behaves in a naughty way.
Even though the majority of youngsters in the interviews are victims of violence, nevertheless a surprisingly high number of them indicate that they have certain aggressive tendencies of their own, especially in terms of losing control quickly. A large number of aggressive tendencies reported by girls are restricted to shouting, getting angry at people for no reason and being impatient. Boys speak of being physically violent in some
cases although this violence has frequently been provoked by a violent incident. There is a fairly high occurrence of auto-aggressive behaviour, connected to low self-esteem and guilt issues. The problem of maintaining control over an aggressive situation and keeping one's head straight when in the whirlwind of intense interaction is something that should be given attention.
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Home Sweet Home In general, family violence remains limited to shouting and screaming at home, which seems to reflect the educational experiences and approaches of parents and their children. There are very few reports of physical violence other
than shouting. In some cases, youngsters express a desire for greater independence from their parents, who are naturally even more protective of their children than they would be if they hadn‘t had special needs.
Experience: Carlos sometimes feels uncomfortable at home as his father is a choleric person who is offended quite easily and gets crazy. Then, when things get tense, they all start screaming at each other.
15 A Space to Speak Up
Being the other In conclusion The final thematic framework encompasses the entire range of violence-related themes in relation to mental illness and has a conceptual range that exceeds the separate themes we have discussed above. “Otherness” is something closely related to mental health difficulties or learning disabilities and should be addressed as a separate theme. Anyone who doesn‘t fit the picture of dominant representations is the “Other”, especially people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. It is therefore crucial for them to learn how to experience “Otherness” in whichever form and incarnation in order to learn to incorporate it into their own emotional and cognitive realities and thus become skilled in voicing “Otherness” as a legitimate subject position that deserves its rightful space.
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Partner Profile
promente Upper Austria…..
Mental health problems: Inclusion is the answer…. Help for people with mental health problems A psychiatric disease is not a fate to which one has to resign. More than one out of four persons all over the world is facing mental health problems. pro mente Upper Austria runs about 150 facilities providing assistance in the province of Upper Austria. For more than 45 years pro mente Upper Austria, Association for Mental and Social Health, has provided counselling and care for persons suffering from mental health problems, with a staff of almost 1500 professional employees and an additional 260 volunteers. pro mente Upper Austria runs roughly 150 facilities providing assistance in the province of Upper Austria. An average number of approximately 30 000 persons contact a facility of pro mente Upper Austria. The services provided are free of cost for the clients.
Counselling, housing, work and leisure
The activities of pro mente Upper Austria include counselling for persons with mental health and social problems and also for their relatives. In addition a number of different facilities in Upper Austria provide further assistance with regard to housing, work and leisure as well as addiction. A central aim is to facilitate the integration into local communities of persons with mental problems. This focus is placed on the provision of services in or near the hometowns of clients.
Prevention and crisis intervention
Information and prevention activities help to stop the development of psychiatric problems before they get manifest. In this regard telephone hotlines and personal assistance in times of mental crises is very important. Our psychosocial emergency hotline is available 24 hours 7 days a week.
Empowerment – the promotion of independence
Our staff helps clients to discover their strengths and to take an active part in shaping their lives. Knowledge and tools are given, which allow them to understand their situation and make decisions for themselves. Persons with mental health problems are often being discriminated against and experience social exclusion. Empowerment means that they learn how to handle their affairs themselves as they become aware of their capabilities, develop skills and make use of their individual and collective resources in order to lead independent lives. In Transpace we are working with youngsters from pro mente youth. We are also cooperating with organisations in the social – and health sector such as mental health hospitals, schools and other institutions who also work with youngsters with special needs.
17 A Space to Speak Up
The KUK, the creative department of promente premiered the comedy “Stepping Out“ by Richard Harris. This work features the unsuccessful dancer Mavis with her pianist Mrs Fraser leading a dance class for amateurs. Once a week, eight women and one man, feeling frustrated, lonely and unhappy, get together to dance from the soul. The commitment of this group to a fund raising event dispels envy and silences disputes and quarrels. There is a common goal in which not only talent, but also new attitudes develop. Optimism and joy return.
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That’s me, Martin Kroeber from Germany The motto of my work in the Transpace Project is: “Many participants, different strategies, one goal: Supporting and promoting handicapped young people that they don’t suffer violence” I was born in 1955 in Mönchengladbach. It’s a boring town near the Dutch border in the very west of Germany. But at least there
It’s an institution which offers a second chance for pupils who failed in their former schools.
is one attraction: The great and famous football
I like working there even though I have to drive
team ”Borussia Mönchengladbach”.
41 km to school! Being on the motorway
Apart from watching “Borussia” I went to school in the town - but I didn’t enjoy it too much. I was far more interested in chatting with my friends. In 1974 I got my final secondary-school examinations, refused the compulsory military service, instead of that I worked in an old people’s house.
By 1976 it was high time to say good-bye to Mönchengladbach and I moved to Bonn – the former capital is still my favourite place in Germany – to start my student life. I enjoyed my new freedom and I am still happy about the decision to become a teacher. I am teaching now for more than 25 years. Since 2001 I have worked as a teacher in the vocational centre of the CJD-Frechen.
and teaching the students is a challenge but one develops strategies. For me part of that development was to undertake a training course to fight violence, racism, aggessiveness and bullying. Being a teacher and a trainer is a perfect combination for me. Apart from the job I love doing sports. I play tennis, volleyball and lead juggling courses. And the older I get the more I like climbing mountains with my bike. This summer it made me a little bit proud to arrive on the summit of the “Mont Ventoux” , a stage of the “Tour de France”, doing it without doping and for sure not in the”yellow tricot”.
19 A Space to Speak Up
Shaping up for Transpace
The trainers workshop in Sofia… All those project partners who will be involved in training and supporting the young people in the Transpace project gathered together in Sofia, Bulgaria 2427th September 2013. They were introduced to an innovative mix of psychodrama and transitional space techniques which will give the young people the means to combat aggression.
As well as enjoying each other’s company and the hospitality of Dr.Galabina Tarashoeva and the Mental Health Center, “prof. Nikola Shiokovenski” team, the trainers focused on discussing the methodology they would be using and what they could learn from each other. Gabi Tarashoeva who led the workshop explained: “Every child needs a safe place to experience security, warmth and admiration. But every child also needs to leave this haven and explore the world. Young people need to experiment: to be small and large, fragile and strong. By imitation and practice they learn how to shed their rigid roles and explore
new possibilities. The context of the theatre provides the credibility for both protagonist and his story, providing them with the tools to reflect on violence and on how space can promote self-protection”.
Understanding the issues
Before they undertook the workshop training the delegates were also introduced to the research conducted in each partner country that examined how violence and aggression manifested itself –for more see Victims and Violence pages 4 to 15 of this magazine.
Dr. Bojan Musil
Dr. Gabi Tarashoeva
A Space to Speak Up 20
Bojan Musil discussed with the trainers that the research had identified 9 different themes of aggressive behaviour that had informed the methodology with which they were now about to work. Our trainers were involved in all kinds of exercises and discussions. You will see what they are and how our youngsters will become involved in future editions of “A Space to Speak Out” but here are some of the exercises the trainers undertook.
Creating a safe place
The issue Low self-esteem seems to be the most prevalent and the most complex problem that somehow silently lies at the heart of most violence-related reasons or consequences. The latent nature of low self-esteem in relation to violence has a lot to do with the fact that it embraces a complex cognitive and emotive landscape whose “core” is difficult to pin it down, especially given the fact that “the core” of low self-esteem changes from one individual to another. Some of these young people seem to have previously gone through domestic episodes of aggression/abuse, which they have never learnt to confront and therefore persist. Each new act of violence thus reiterates the normality of such episodes and the roles played. How to maintain control in aggressive situation and keeping one’s head together is a challenge especially devising a way to create a mental haven; a space that would then allow one to reflect upon an intense situation as if from the outside and then take controlled action.
The activity One technique that trainers examined in Sofia was the “Magic Castle”. Eva, Letizia, Natalia and Gustavo were invited to think about a safe place where they have been or they would like to be and felt or would feel safe, protected, loved and valued. They were asked; “Imagine this place as your own castle, see it and find somebody (real from your life or imagination) who will come to live with you in it: l “Who could protect / defend you?” l “Who would like and admire you?” l Who would love you and fulfill all your needs?” They were then asked to organize a part of the room as this castle and to mark the boundaries with a rope. Gabi Tarashoeva, who led the activity, then visited each castle in turn. She assumed the role of a journalist, asking questions that would help the owner of the castle to present him or herself and augment the fantasies and inner pictures. The questions were around how each of them felt with the protection and care that the space now provided. Then Eva, Letizia, Natalia and Gustavo were invited to communicate with each other, on the basis of the new experience of strength and self esteem. The final act was to internalize this safe place and to go back to reality with this Magic Castle inside.
21 A Space to Speak Up
Learn how to confront and avoid escapism The issue
Running off, shutting out the world or pressing a mental “off“ button is a frequent response by youngsters facing aggression and violence. Escapism is an important theme to be dealt with in the training programme and its importance comes from seeing it as a crutch that prevents one from living life fully by avoiding confrontation at all costs. The challenge is finding a tool for youngsters that would prevent them from choosing retreat when life “gets in the way”. Life is for living and a first step is to develop a strategy to confront not retreat. The trainers looked at how the youngsters could develop the tools - to learn that there are not only strong and only weak persons, that everyone has both sides: to value and show the strong parts and not to be ashamed of the weak areas.
The activity This only shows a part of what was covered – some physical exercises in confrontation. You will see more as the youngsters explore escapism in future editions of “A Space to Speak Up” The trainers made couples of roughly the same size. They stood face to face touching with the palms of their hands only. They braced themselves and when the course leader gave the signal every one started to press and push the hands of their partner. Nobody had permission to move his or her legs. The task was to make the partner to move her or his legs. They were not allowed to push the partner to the floor. After those fun and games the trainers changed partners but again with someone of similar size. The 2 partners stood with backs touching. On the signal everyone tried to move her or his partner ahead, without hands, only pushing with back and legs.
After every exercise the group made a circle and shared their experience and what they discovered or learnt in their different roles. These exercises are designed to stimulate discussion and changes in behavior. With the youngsters the group will separate into 2 subgroups:
1. Take a role of physically weak children, victims
2. Take a role of physically strong and aggressive children
In their subgroups they will think about:
1. – “what is their non physical strength?” “How they could use it?”
2. – “what is their non physical weakness?” “What makes them to be afraid?”
After the discussions in the subgroups, they stand one in front of each other and, using their new learning, they engage in verbal confrontation. The subgroups then switch roles afterwards coming together to share and reflect.
A Space to Speak Up 22
Spreading the word Telling others what we do
A key part of the project also involves trainers encouraging the young people and children to use artistic techniques and journalism to express their feelings and to describe their own space. The trainers were also introduced to the techniques of community reporting that will guide learners – and trainers! And to present their story in their way whether that is by writing, photography, video or through audio. The work being done by the youngsters will be appearing in these pages over the next few issues. They will be reporting on what they do and as well as A Space to Speak Out the stories will be found on the project web site and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Please let us know what you think of what our young people are doing – and if you are doing something similar or something different please let us know.
Young people with learning disabilities become Community Reporters
Link to Isabel YouTube Channel http://www. youtube.com/user/ ISABELPROJECT
Blog: Association of Ecuadorians living in Cantabria
23 A Space to Speak Up
My name is Sabine. I work as a trainer with BorgoRete (Italy).
I was born in Holland, but have been living in
(CUT - Centro Universitario Teatrale) a
Italy since 1985. After my studies in Holland
theatre course centre, where I studied acting
to become a speech therapist, I worked at the
in the same time. I also started working
Arts School for Drama in Amsterdam and
with another theatre company named 'Fonte
Arnhem for a few years, managing workshops
Maggiore' and I took part in many theatre
on 'Voice training'.
plays and managed expressive workshops for little children in the schools.
Then, in search for adventure, I left my country in 1984 with my boyfriend, my dog
After this exciting, creative but very busy
and my campervan. The plan was to travel
time, things changed when I gave birth to my
for one year around Europe, doing street
daughter in '94. A new adventure, very lovely
theatre here and there. In our travels, we met
and colourful started. In 1995 I began to work
an Italian theatre company, who used to do
with 'BorgoRete' in the mental health area,
“theatre in the square� around Italy, and we
where I'm still working today. I got married,
joined them. This was the most fascinating
moved to the countryside where I'm still
way to see and get to know Italy from the
living today with my family, two cats, fruit
north to the south, with all its wonderful
trees and a vegetable garden.
towns and little villages where we perform
The plays stopped but the teaching in theatre
our plays.
is going on...Finally what began for only one year.....Back to my roots one day?...... You'll
The experience came to an end and in 1985, I started working with a stable job as a voice teacher at the University Theatre Centre
never know!"
A Space to Speak Up 24
Our partner from Valladolid in Spain Fundacion INTRAS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to high quality research and intervention in the field of mental health. It consists of eight training centres in three provinces of Spain with over ninety administrative staff, psychiatrists, psychologists, special needs assistants and professionals in the areas of mental health and special education. Our highly qualified staff carries out research and training and also provides a clinical practice. INTRAS places strong emphasis on education, the development of innovative educational techniques and provision of support services for young people suffering from mental health issues, behavioural disorders and learning disabilities.
What we do
in the projec
t
Fundacion IN TRAS has a dual role in T it acts as a co ranSpace pro ordinator ensu ject; firstly ring successf of the project ul implementa , focusing on tion ke eping the co allowing for a nsortium links genuinely mu alive, tu al developmen transfer of kn owledge, gu t of activities ar an and all project ph teeing excelle ases. Apart fr nce of quality om the coord at INTRAS will ination of the take an activ project, e part in the application o d evelopment f the method and ology, facilitat comes to life ing that this in all partner project s’ co (Spain), wher untries as wel e a group of l as in Vallad 4 0 olid youth sufferin health issues g from menta will learn how l to violence whils protect them t gaining tech selves again st nical and crea tive skills. Th
e communit
ies with who
m
we are work We collabora ing te with local, n ational and in organization ternational s, which work to improve th people with m e quality of lif ental health is e of sues and to full re-integra struggle for th tion into soci eir et y. with educatio Fundacion IN nal and train TRAS is work in g ing sports centres centres and schools, gym , cultural org s an an enterprises, izations and d occupational associations, centres, cou so employment ci al nselling centr and training, es for private comp family associ anies, health ations and o centres, ther foundatio INTRAS Fou ns. Furtherm ndation colla o re b o ra care network tes with the p and cooperat ublic mental health es Zamora. with the hosp ital of psychia try of
25 A Space to Speak Up
Innovation in rehabilitation of people with severe and mental ilness through music Calle 61 is a musical group consisting of five patients from the Mental Health Service Hospital in Zamora, Castilla y León, Spain. What is most unique about this band is that the members share one common feature‐ problems with their mental health. The six members of the group, Toni, Emilio, Juan Luis, Philip, Mikel and Quique, all have a severe and prolonged mental illness. Supported by the Psychiatry Department Complex Care in the INTRAS Foundation in Zamora and the Management of Social Services Castile and León, the musical group was formed with the intention of being a rehabilitation tool. The mental health professionals at the hospital felt that more creative and artistic programmes/activities were needed to act as rehabilitative and therapeutic instruments for people with mental health issues. By incorporating the members’ love of music into their rehabilitative programme, the individuals were allowed to actively participate and design their activity. The support team felt that it was essential for the group to adapt the service to their needs, as this would promote and express creativity, motivation, and inspiration, which would further create a ripple effect on various areas of their life, including their self‐esteem, cognitive functioning, confidence, social skills and creative processing. Most importantly, the group enjoy making their music, which has primarily ensured that their music is a success. The six members in the group all have different but equally important roles. Toni and Juan Luis both play
the drums, but Toni is the lead singer. Emilio´s task is to provide backing vocals and Philip plays the guitar. Mikel and Quique are responsible for sound and security. Calle 61 has successfully created an album called “Hotel without stars” (“Hotel Sin Estrellas”), which consists of ten tracks. Each track has been written and composed by the six members. Calle 61 have played at local concerts in Castilla y León, where the album can be purchased from, as well as from INTRAS Foundation and Buenacompra´s online stores. A website (http:// calle61.intras.es) has also been designed which features regular updates and news on Calle 61, information, the history of the group, short clips of their songs, and their album.
A Space to Speak Up 26
Young peoples’ workshop in Spain - OUR FIRST DAY In today´s session, we watched a video which showed what aggressive behaviour towards other people looks like. The star of this video is called Fito, he is a person who tends to laugh at others, often mocking and humiliating them. After watching the video we have come to the conclusion that Fito, is not someone we want to be like.
We don’t want
to be like FITO
His behaviour has led to him feeling lonely and having no friends, his home situation and relationship with his parents is difficult and his future does not look bright, there is a strong possibility that he will become a criminal. The sentences and ideas we liked and that we will implement from now on are as follows:
‘Be aware of your surroundings, let’s all co-operate so that we don’t have any more people like Fito. But, if we are not able to manage on our own, we will ask for help from our parents and teachers.’
We need to help people like Fito. It is important not to simply be a spectator in bullying situations. Fito needs help but victims of bullying and harassment need even.
‘Do not be a passive spectator’
ill you be?”
“We won’t be, w
27 A Space to Speak Up
Cartoons and comic strips can also let young people tell a story Please send us yours!
A Space to Speak Up 28
29 A Space to Speak Up
November 2013
Working with the em youngsters to help th e. find their tools for lif Initial sessions start in Spain and Germany
Decembe r 2013 to April 2014
Worksh ops for young taking p lace in A people Bulgaria ustria, , Hunga r y and Ita Youngste rs and c ly hild
ren from every co hat they untry “A Day in can do during Space”
explore w
January 2 014
Partners m eet in Frec hen, Germany to r e view progress, reflecting on their experience s as they p repare future acti vities
14 – 0 2 y Ma 2014 y l u J
er – h oth its c a e g from change vis n i n r a ex Le ners tional s part and a a n s r r e e r th int h othe rom o eac ing f Learn people visit ractices oung ood p and y xchange g e Space ays in D e r l Mo l
October 2014
the Final conference for project held in UK
nting the partners will be prese stakeholders. results of the project to interested The aim is to provide riences they organisations with expe s that they can share and practice for their can apply and develop rs participants and learne l The
July 2014 – October 2014
and doing Learning from others it ourselves
other and trainers applying ds and experiences partners training metho ir young people to workshops with the the youngsters to l Creative workshops for press their sense of encourage them to ex space g people in the l Art exhibition for the youn to be hosted on the project in every country d featured in Transpace web site an ” “A Space to Speak Up l Partners