About the project
Autistic thriving with the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® – a nourishing practice of self-discovery through movement-based expressive arts
Overview
Céad Mile Fáilte / A hundred thousand welcomes
to this
Tamalpa Art Corps project
a practice-based research initiative that is all-autistic and free of charge
I'm Sandra Maria Carey, an autistic, final year (Level 3) student
of the Tamalpa Institute.
I'm pleased to invite 6 fellow autistic adults to attend
nine 3 hour long Zoom classes every Monday at 1-4pm
from19th September to 21st November 2022 (excluding October 31st)
Project Theme
Autistic thriving with the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® - a nourishing practice of self-discovery through movement-based expressive arts.
Project Intentions
Participate in an autistic-only community space that promotes autistic thriving. Cultivate physical, emotional, and mental self-awareness while identifying and developing the capacity to creatively express and nourish or resource yourself (see Glossary of Terms) using some of the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® tools.
The Tamalpa Life/Art Process®
The Tamalpa Life/Art Process®, which combines movement, dance, drawing, and writing, has influenced the fields of dance, environmental design, theatre, movement therapy, and art-based psychology.
The foundation of the Life/Art Process® is based on a view of the body and movement. The body holds our entire life experience. We understand movement as the body’s primary language. Movement is personality and soul made visible, and dance is body, feelings, and imagination in motion.
We believe that movement/dance is a way for all people to live a more embodied and creative life – one that fosters healing and social transformation. Movement and dance are ways to express the full range of human emotion and to connect, deeply and authentically, to our truest selves.
The Tamalpa Institute
Founded in 1978 by dance pioneers Anna Halprin and Daria Halprin, the Tamalpa Institute is an internationally recognised nonprofit organisation that offers expressive arts training programmes and workshops for healing, education, and social transformation.
This innovative work has been brought into classrooms, businesses, hospitals, mental health care settings, hospices, prisons, and underserved communities, among others.
Tamalpa Art Corps
The Tamalpa Art Corps is an important element of the Tamalpa Institute’s professional training dedicated to facilitating social transformation through the healing power of creative expression. It brings this work to communities who otherwise would not have access to it.
To achieve professional certification I must complete many practicum hours - time spent designing, facilitating, and documenting classes or one-to-one sessions, while under supervision.
Professional memberships
The Tamalpa Institute and its practitioners adhere to the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA). The Tamalpa Institute is designated as an Official Training Organization by the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP).
Project Support & Inspiration
The project is supported by AUsome Autism Training and integrates key elements of the doctoral dissertation by Dr Nick Walker, an autistic somatic practitioner and leading thinker in the emerging field of neurodiversity studies.
There is
an essential connection
between art and life which can facilitate healing and change. We are interested in a new aesthetic that reflects the here and now reality of peoples' authentic life experiences, rather than a beauty based on form or technique. For us it is our real life experiences that feed our art, and our art that informs the real issues in our lives. We call this the Life-Art process.
Daria Halprin,
Co-founder of the Tamalpa Institute
About
Autistic thriving with the Tamalpa Life/Art Process®
a nourishing practice of self-discovery through movement-based expressive arts
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to:
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Experience some of the movement-based expressive arts tools of the Tamalpa Life/Art Process®
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Cultivate physical, emotional, and mental self-awareness
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Identify and develop the capacity to creatively nourish or resource yourself (see Glossary of Terms)
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Participate in a community space that promotes autistic thriving
Activities will be facilitated and will include:
Movement
May be done while lying down, seated, standing, or moving through your space
Drawing
Mark making with a coloured drawing medium e.g. oil pastels or crayons
Writing
Capturing the 'voice' or 'wisdom' in your movement and drawing explorations
Sharing
Brief & guided sharing of own process.Witnessing of fellow participants’ shares
Creative guidelines
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No movement, artistic or writing experience needed as the emphasis is on the process and personal expression
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All sharing is invited, not compulsory
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Taking care of your body is a primary intention so movement is guided in an invitational way that accommodates the needs and abilities of each participant. Being a somatic practice (see Glossary of Terms) we are interested in how the movement feels, not how it looks
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The majority of the class involves movement and creative activity and will not be spent looking directly at your screen
Home study/practice
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To support your learning, participants are required to do home study/practice of approximately1 hour per week in between classes
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It is essential to personal and group learning that students complete their home study/practice prior to each class
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May include drawing, journalling about questions given by the facilitator, or practicing a movement sequence
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Clear instructions and the opportunity to ask questions about home study/practice will be provided at the end of each class
Examples of class activities or Scores
In the context of the Tamalpa work, a score is both a term and a process we use to create and communicate consciously designed activities that participants enact. Scores enable the participant to have new experiences which can often be transformative and offer life changing resources for the future.
A score is process-oriented, not goal-oriented, meaning the process and experience is what's important, not the outcome.
The most familiar kind of score is a musical one, however in our daily life we create and enact many kinds of scores e.g., a shopping list, a to-do list, or planning a holiday can all be considered types of scores.
Here are two sample scores for the project. Whilst these scores are subject to change before the project starts, they are presented here to support you in anticipating what a class may involve. Finalised scores for each class will be shared with the participants a week in advance.
Glossary of terms
Here is a list of terminology and definitions for concepts related to this project.
When, where & for how long
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Each participant will meet the facilitator on Zoom for 1 hour before the project commences
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Nine 3 hour long Zoom classes at 1-4pm every Monday from 19th September to 21st November 2022 (excluding October 31st)
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There will be a 5 minute toilet/comfort break soon after the first hour and a 15 minute break around 1 hour 40 minutes into the class.
We place our focus
on the process itself,
and on the insights that emerge,
rather than on the outcome or product.
You
The following 12 criteria must be met by all applicants:
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I am autistic (self or formally identified).
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I am interested in supporting my physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
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I am curious about movement-based expressive arts.
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I can commit to nine 3 hour long weekly Zoom classes at 1-4pm every Monday from 19th Sept -21st Nov 2022 excluding 31st October.
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I can commit to home study/practice of approx 1 hour per week between classes.
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I agree to classes, art work and writing being documented by the facilitator in written, visual, and/or audiovisual formats as this will be used to demonstrate her learning*.
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I am willing to provide feedback to the facilitator on my experience of the Tamalpa Life/Art Process® .
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I have a computer or tablet with stable internet access and can position my device so I can be seen by the facilitator while I'm doing movement activities.
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I have a private, obstacle-free space (minimum size 1.5 x 1.5 metres) where I won’t be overheard or disturbed during the classes.
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I have a comfortable place to lie on the floor and can provide a yoga mat (or similar), cushions and a blanket.
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I can provide a notebook and pen, a drawing pad (A2 or A3 size), and a set of colour drawing medium e.g. oil pastels or crayons.
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I agree to have a 1 hour meeting on Zoom with the facilitator before the project starts if my application is successful.
* The project may be featured in the Art & Social Justice section of the Tamalpa Institute's website, whilst safeguarding sensitive personal material
The Tamalpa Life/Art Process® is
"...based on the notion that movement,
sensations, emotions, and images are
interactive and that cultivating and
exploring the interactions
between them allows
participants to connect with
an authentic experience, free from their preconceived ideas about 'Art'."
Anna Halprin (1920 - 2021)
Co-founder of the Tamalpa Institute
Us
Sandra
Creator & facilitator
Victoria
Assistant
Audicia
Supervisor
Apply
Please apply only if you can meet the 12 criteria in the You section.
Online applications close at 6pm on 8th August.
6 applicants will be selected based on the information given to the ‘Reasons for interest in the project’ question on the application form below.
Successful applicants:
Successful applicants will be contacted by email by to arrange a 1 hour meeting on Zoom with the facilitator, which will take place at a mutually convenient time between 15th - 31st August. This is an opportunity to:
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meet each other
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review and commit to the project's criteria for participation, confidentiality, liability and attendance
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ask and answer each other's questions
Unsuccessful applicants:
Unsuccessful applicants will be contacted by email by 31st August and may be offered the opportunity to be placed on a waitlist should a participant need to withdraw for any reason before the start.
The project will be repeated in 2023 so applicants who could not be offered a place for the September start may be invited to attend a future course before it is advertised to the public via AUsome Autism Training and elsewhere.