“Staying at Home, Staying Strong”: Audiovisual Expression and Creativity Workshops During COVID-19 Lockdown

Evangelia Kourti
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Abstract

Art, as a powerful container of extreme emotions and an alternative form of communication, has been a bulwark against the dystopia facing humanity. In “Curing the Limbo”, the innovative project for adult refugee inclusion, workshops for “Audiovisual Expression and Creativity”, employing an Action Research methodology, provide the opportunity for refugee engagement, mobilization and empowerment via the media of photography, video and music. In times like the COVID-19 global pandemic, when physical contact was suspended and the most vulnerable social groups immensely affected, the call for art was an imperative as never before. When the workshops were cancelled due to the sudden unprecedented measures taken, we inevitably moved to online meetings and classes with the help of various tools, like LMS (Learning Management Platforms), blogging sites and social media. Since participant refugees were already in a vulnerable position, many different literal and metaphorical connotations were attributed to the notion of home. Educators/facilitators had to urgently re-create a safe virtual environment, in order to deliver a vital creative space for all those involved, to help reduce isolation, improve confidence, combat stress, encourage staying active and at the same time explore new pathways to communication and creativity. These virtual workshops created during lockdown a safe place, a “virtual home“ for participants, that enhanced refugee resilience and brought them back stronger and emotionally more connected than before. These (emotional and creative) links were vital both for educators/facilitators and participants, a reminder that despite separations we stayed connected and strong.


Download Proceedings Book Volume1
Download Proceedings Book Volume2

Presentation