IT’S ALL IN THE MIND: The IT’S ALL IN THE MIND: The Social and Psycohological Social and Psycohological

impact of Artsimpact of Arts

Tuula TamminenTuula Tamminen

Professor of Child Psychiatry FINLANDProfessor of Child Psychiatry FINLAND

President of WAIMH President of WAIMH

Are there dark clouds in tomorrow’s Are there dark clouds in tomorrow’s dawn?dawn?

Growing world-wide concern about Growing world-wide concern about children’s mental well-being children’s mental well-being

The majority of children are growing-up in The majority of children are growing-up in sub-optimal circumstances (poverty)sub-optimal circumstances (poverty)

An alarming sign is that children in wealthy An alarming sign is that children in wealthy countries are suffering more and more countries are suffering more and more mental problems mental problems

Challenges in a globalizing worldChallenges in a globalizing world

Mental adaptation capacities of individuals Mental adaptation capacities of individuals are heavily challenged in this continuously are heavily challenged in this continuously rapidly changing, multicultural, rapidly changing, multicultural, technological information eratechnological information era

Eg. WHO/EU have estimated that the Eg. WHO/EU have estimated that the biggest threaths for welfare in Europe until biggest threaths for welfare in Europe until 2015 will be the increasing mental health 2015 will be the increasing mental health problemsproblems

Minding the MindMinding the Mind

How are we supporting our children to How are we supporting our children to grow-up in the modern, globalizing world?grow-up in the modern, globalizing world?

How well do we take care of the mental How well do we take care of the mental development of children and adolescents?development of children and adolescents?

Are we able to promote healthy, balanced Are we able to promote healthy, balanced psychosocial development during school psychosocial development during school years?years?

What are the real goals of our education?What are the real goals of our education?

Arts and arts education Arts and arts education could and should have a could and should have a

unique role in answering all unique role in answering all these questionsthese questions

There are several arguments for There are several arguments for this statement, the best is that it this statement, the best is that it supports maturation of the mindsupports maturation of the mind

Supporting creativenessSupporting creativeness

Two basic mechanisms/patterns of how the mind Two basic mechanisms/patterns of how the mind develops during childhood:develops during childhood:

1. Identifying with someone/something, modelling, 1. Identifying with someone/something, modelling, imitating, learning to be coherent and logicalimitating, learning to be coherent and logical

2. Creating something new, through problem 2. Creating something new, through problem solving, finding something unique and new, solving, finding something unique and new, learning to be creativelearning to be creative

How many experiences and possibilities do we How many experiences and possibilities do we offer eg. in schools for promoting both ways of offer eg. in schools for promoting both ways of learning? learning?

Arts education and creativityArts education and creativity

Enough arts education? Frequency, Enough arts education? Frequency, continuity, diversity?continuity, diversity?

Multimodal learning: by doing, by Multimodal learning: by doing, by experiencing, by sharing, by learning to experiencing, by sharing, by learning to know, by enjoying etcknow, by enjoying etc

Non-abstract ways are important for Non-abstract ways are important for childrenchildren

Important role of the EmotionsImportant role of the Emotions

Important bridge between body and mindImportant bridge between body and mind Important role in functions of the brain and mind Important role in functions of the brain and mind

(eg motivation, understanding)(eg motivation, understanding) Important role in human interactionsImportant role in human interactions Important bond between human individualsImportant bond between human individuals Important tie between individual and society (eg Important tie between individual and society (eg

values, attitudes)values, attitudes) Do we teach our children how to deal with Do we teach our children how to deal with

emotions?emotions?

Arts education does!Arts education does!

Arts education is also exercising self-Arts education is also exercising self-expression, training to notice (sensitivity, expression, training to notice (sensitivity, empathy) and practising to understand empathy) and practising to understand emotions (self/other-understanding) emotions (self/other-understanding)

Arts and arts education enable Arts and arts education enable experiencing and sharing emotions (self-experiencing and sharing emotions (self-understanding, empathy)understanding, empathy)

Arts education offers support for emotional Arts education offers support for emotional maturation (self-esteem)maturation (self-esteem)

Development of empathyDevelopment of empathy

Ability to enter into someone else’s emotions Ability to enter into someone else’s emotions (attunement)(attunement)

Ability to step out of someone else’s feelingsAbility to step out of someone else’s feelings Ability to recognize what kind of emotions this Ability to recognize what kind of emotions this

attunement evokes in oneselfattunement evokes in oneself Ability to react and behave according to Ability to react and behave according to

attunement and own feelingsattunement and own feelings

Arts and arts education facilitate the practice of Arts and arts education facilitate the practice of all these four stepsall these four steps

ConclusionsConclusions

Arts and arts education is a very much Arts and arts education is a very much needed way of promoting balanced mental needed way of promoting balanced mental development in today’s knowledge based development in today’s knowledge based worldworld

Arts education improves social (empathy) Arts education improves social (empathy) and interactional (emotional) skills of and interactional (emotional) skills of individualsindividuals

Arts education is a wonderful, enjoyable Arts education is a wonderful, enjoyable way of preventing mental health problemsway of preventing mental health problems

ConclusionsConclusions

The arts are extremely important in The arts are extremely important in globalizationglobalization

The arts increase trans-, cross- and multi-The arts increase trans-, cross- and multi-cultural understandingcultural understanding

The arts education is a way of teaching The arts education is a way of teaching children to become global citizens (peace children to become global citizens (peace education)education)

Arts education should be Arts education should be the right of every childthe right of every child

The human mind was born with The human mind was born with the first cave painting. Let’s keep the first cave painting. Let’s keep

our mind alive!our mind alive!