The Art of Healing in Kashmir: how creative activities can support child wellbeing in areas of conflict

这项研究将研究基于艺术的疗法如何在冲突的背景下支持儿童的健康。我们的工作是在印度的查谟和克什米尔领土内进行的。2019年8月，印度政府通过废除《印度宪法》第370条和第35A条，取消了查谟和克什米尔邦的半自治地位。随后是封锁，包括所有互联网服务和电话网络中断，广泛的宵禁，公共交通和许多其他公共服务关闭。虽然关于克什米尔儿童与冲突的研究有限，但来自其他背景的学术研究表明，在军事化地区，儿童特别容易受到伤害，治愈创伤对可持续和平至关重要。随着克什米尔封锁的缓解，现在是促进那些经历过创伤的人康复和幸福的关键时刻。据我们在克什米尔的合作伙伴说，许多儿童感到孤立、“麻木”，并表现出与创伤后应激障碍一致的情绪和行为症状。我们在克什米尔普尔瓦马的当地合作伙伴- -海豚学校- -开展了一个健康方案，通过该方案，他们向表示需要帮助的有症状的儿童提供支持。这所学校精通艺术（该学院的校长研究并提供了基于艺术的疗法），并希望利用创造力的力量来促进治疗。在这个项目中，我们将支持海豚学校为儿童提供戏剧、视觉艺术和木偶戏，以获得治疗效果。我们的核心研究问题是：艺术活动和基于艺术的疗法在支持受冲突影响的儿童的心理健康和福祉方面的潜力是什么？这个问题将在10个月的时间里分三个阶段进行调查。第一阶段（2020年5月）：项目启动和建立草案评估机制。这将是一个快速启动，包括由学术团队领导的两篇文献综述和在布里斯托尔举行的研讨会。通过这个阶段，我们将：i)建立我们的基线期望，关于我们如何相信艺术疗法可以使海豚学校的孩子们受益；Ii)同意评估策略；iii)最终确定差旅、风险管理、保障和道德规范。第二阶段（2020年5月至6月至11月）：为克什米尔儿童提供艺术活动并评估影响。在我们的第二次工作坊之后，我们将促进艺术活动（由艺术伙伴Katkatha和Vikramjeet Sinha）在海豚学校的交付。第二阶段还包括研究实地工作，包括：a)现场评估；b)与利益相关者和非政府组织的访谈；c)可视化文档。第三阶段（2020年11月至2021年2月）：涉及分析、改进产出、传播和影响。我们将在克什米尔再举行两次讲习班，以促进我们的伙伴和其他伙伴之间的评价和交流。此外，我们将促进开发一个培训模块/工作手册，供希望在克什米尔和其他冲突地区推动艺术方法改善福祉的艺术从业者使用。产出：该项目将产生若干产出，包括为克什米尔儿童的健康和福祉作出贡献。此外，我们将产生：三篇期刊文章横跨三个学科；政策产出（项目报告和简短摘要）；一个讲述这些经历的网站和博客；当地制作的项目电影文件（以及对当地电影制作人的培训）；以及未来在克什米尔开展艺术活动和艺术疗法的工作手册/培训模块。可行性说明：我们已获得联威健康和安全小组初步批准前往克什米尔。该批准将在大学和工作人员监测与COVID-19相关的限制和影响时进行审查。由于我们有强大的本地合作，我们有信心，如果旅行限制限制英国旅行，我们可以远程提供这项研究。

This research will study how art-based therapies can support child wellbeing in the context of conflict. Our work is set within the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Indian Government withdrew the State of Jammu and Kashmir's semi-autonomous status by repealing article 370 and 35A from the Indian Constitution. This was followed by a lockdown, which included blackout of all internet services and telephone networks, widespread curfews, and closing down of public transport and many other public services. While there is limited research on children and conflict in Kashmir, scholarship from other contexts demonstrates that children are particularly vulnerable in militarised areas and that healing trauma is central for sustainable peace. As the lockdown in Kashmir eases, it is a critical time to facilitate healing and wellbeing for those who have experienced trauma. According to our partners in Kashmir, many children feel isolated, 'numb', and are expressing emotional and behaviour symptoms consistent with PTSD. Our local partners in Pulwama, Kashmir - the Dolphin School - run a Wellness Programme through which they provide support to symptomatic children expressing a desire for assistance. The school is well-versed in the arts (the principle has studied and delivered Arts-Based Therapy) and hopes to draw on the power of creativity to facilitate healing. In this project we will support the Dolphin School to deliver drama, visual arts, and puppetry, to children for therapeutic benefits. Our central research question: what is the potential for arts activities and arts-based therapies to support the mental health and wellbeing of children affected by conflict?This question will be investigated via three phases over 10 months Phase 1 (May 2020): project initiation and establishment of draft evaluation mechanisms. This will be a quick start up that includes two literature reviews led by the academic team and a workshop held in Bristol. Through this phase we will: i) establish our baseline expectations regarding how we believe art therapies can benefit children at the Dolphin School; ii) agree the evaluation strategy and iii) finalise travel, risk management, safeguarding and ethics.Phase 2 (May-June to November 2020): delivering art activities to children in Kashmir and evaluating the impact. Following our second workshop, we will facilitate the delivery of the arts activities (by arts partners Katkatha and Vikramjeet Sinha) at the Dolphin School. Phase 2 also includes research fieldwork including: a) on-site evaluation; b) interviews with stakeholders and NGOs; and c) visual documentation. Phase 3 (November 2020 to February 2021): involves analysis, refinement of outputs, dissemination and impact. We will hold two further workshops in Kashmir to facilitate evaluation and sharing of amongst our partners and beyond. In addition, we will facilitate the development of a training module / workbook that can be used by arts practitioners looking to advance arts approaches to wellbeing in Kashmir and other conflict areas. Outputs: The project will result in a number of outputs including a contribution to the health and wellbeing of children in Kashmir. In addition, we will produce: three journal articles across three disciplines; policy outputs (project report and short summaries); a website and blog narrating the experiences; a locally-produced film documentation of the project (and training for a local film-maker); and a workbook / training module for future arts activities and art based therapies in Kashmir.Feasibility note: we have received preliminary approval from UWE Health and Safety team to travel to Kashmir. This approval will be reviewed as the university and staff monitor restrictions and impacts associated with COVID-19. As we have robust local collaborations in place, we are confident that we can deliver this research remotely if travel restrictions limit UK travel.