Fanian et al. (2015) evaluate the role art plays in building resiliency through the Kots’iìhtła (“We Light the Fire”) Project. The participants were Tłı˛cho˛ youth (of the Northwest Territories), facilitated by Indigenous youth artists/mentors. While the project’s original goal was suicide prevention among youth, participants steered its course by choosing issues that were important to them. During the workshops, “participants began to share about challenges such as alcohol use, cyber bullying and suicide and employment, as well as positive aspects of their community and visions for their own and collective future through the artwork and in conversations” (p. 7). Projects ranged from visual arts to music, film to photography. At the end of the project, the particpants’ creations were shared with the community. The project was deemed a success, as both participant self-reflections and mentor observations saw an increase in participant confidence and resiliency. Additionally, participation in art-making was found to have the potential for facilitating bonding and sparking conversations for change.
Reference:
Fanian, S., Young, S. K., Mantla, M., Daniels, A., & Chatwood, S. (2015). Evaluation of the Kots’iìhtła (“We Light the Fire”) Project: building resiliency and connections through strengths-based creative arts programming for Indigenous youth. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 74(1), 27672. https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v74.27672