Life in the Red Light Zone - BBC3 documentary series

Sex, Drugs & Murder: Life in the Red Light Zone ep 7
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04v6stb/sex-drugs-murder-life-in-the-red-light-zone-7-someones-daughter

'it's just from what I've done in jail really, picked it up in prison. I find it [painting] theraputic and when I get settled into it my mind just is on the painting and nothing else, its something I find helps me take my mind off all the shit [her life as a sex worker battling drug addiction] thats usually on it. I'm not thinking about owt I'm just... me minds [sic] just lost into this.'
- 'Adele'

Art as Therapy for Juvenile Delinquents - research

Art as Therapy for Juvenile Delinquents

what does the article aim to address?

• Can art be used to help develop a sense of social responsibility?
• But can art also be used successfully to develop social responsibility?
• Can an art program be used as a valuable part of a total program for reforming young criminals?

what was the approach

• 'I set up a program in which the primary objective would be the develop- ment of an individual's self-respect and confidence'
• 'I stressed the fact that a relaxed friendly atmosphere is essential for self-expression and that the individuals should be allowed to select subjects and materials freely and to make pictures in their own way'

what are the conclusions

• 'Our limited experience at the juvenile center indicates that an art activity can be helpful in the treatment of delinquency'
• 'During the class period there was a noticeable improvement in the children's emotional control and attitudes to others'
• 'A noticeable improvement of the children was observed in terms of their self-control, self-respect and attitudes to others'

Other helpful quotes

• 'The most common remark was that they were unable to draw. They derided the efforts of those who tried, saying 'he can't do nothin'.' In general, they exhibited a severe lack of self-respect and self-confidence'
• 'as they realized that they would not be tested or ridiculed by their teachers, but, rather, praised for their efforts, they began to change their outlook'

Other helpful sources

• Lowenfeld and Brittain in their book state: 'There is great satisfaction in expressing one's own feelings and emotion in art. The child is expressing his own importance, through his own means, and the satisfaction he derives from his achievement is self-evident 
• 'It is important to stress the significance of the indivi- dual's ability to live cooperatively in his society. This ability cannot be developed unless the child learns to assume responsibility for the things he is doing… creative activities pro- vide an excellent means for taking this important step 

- V. Lowenfeld and W. L. Brittain, Creative and Mental Growth, 5th ed. (New York: MacMillan, 1970

COP2 study task 4

- helpful for getting down a definite list of sources to read
- prompted me to research and compile a list of relevant artists
- a good task to organise my thoughts and get my project more in order

COP2 study task 3b

• Proto-question
  How does creative expression benefit the individual and why is this important for wider society?
  
  
• What have you found out so far?
  

  - Researched ken horne and his artistic practice
  - Understanding key terms such as psychoanalysis, neuroaesthetics, psychotherapy and cognitive analytic therapy
  - its arguably scientific fact that art is a benefit to your mental health
  -we have strong connections with 'beautiful' visual stimulus
  -looking at ‘beautiful art’ increases blood flow to the orbito frontal cortex in the brain -The OFC has been implicated in playing a significant role in emotion, it has been hypothesized that the OFC is involved specifically in modulating bodily changes that are associated with emotion
• What are your core texts
  - Brain scans reveal the power of art - the telegraph 'The study is being seized upon as proof of the need for art to be made as widely available to the general public as possible.' - NeuroAesthetics - Anjan Chatterjee 'De Kooning’s change in style explicitly makes the case that art can serve as a window into the workings of the human brain, that when the brain changes, so too do artistic expression and perception.'- Art Psychotherapy in Neuro-Rehabilitation - melody weightman 'Art therapy can address the functional skills of individual patients and encourage improved social skills, while providing the emotional outlet that is necessary'
• Case studies - images, examples, phenomena
  

  Ken horne Louis Wain Michael Cougan
• Thoughts on practical?
  - visual diary
  - collecting unconscious drawings
  - big expressive paintings 

What is research? part 2

What is research? part 2 Initial research - develop and research practical ideas - generate practical responses An integration of theory and practice that form our practice Intuitive approach - internal dialogue and repotaire Research is absorbing and reflecting on the world around you and bringing it together in a way no one else has done, individually developing your ideas and opinions How why and WHAT IF Primary research - genetate specific data and new information Secondary - existing data used to argue a point The purpose of research is to improve your practice
4 types of research Primary Secondary Quantative Qualitative
Research is creating new knowledge Research is contextual conditional and individual There is more than one form of knowledge Your opinions beliefs and experiences will shape the focus of your research

COP2 study task 3a

Select and define important terms / concepts you have discovered through your reading

• I found defining key terms from my initial research as helpful starting point to get me into exploring more helpful sources and I have started compiling a helpful resources document as a result of starting this task
• the task also helped me think about how other artists like Ken Horne and their artwork might be tied in to my research, but I want to do more specific research into artists that could actually inspire my own work.

helpful sources and articles

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39802/title/Neuroaesthetics/
https://melodyweightman.com/art-psychotherapy-in-neurorehab/
http://www.nature.com/news/neuroaesthetics-is-killing-your-soul-1.12640
http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/talks-events/neuroaesthetics-movement/
http://impakter.com/ken-horne/
https://www.google.co.uk/url?
watching my name go by
https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2017/jun/30/arts-funding-royal-academy-educate-delight-enrich-communities
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/aug/04/arts-funding-700m-needed-bridge-north-south-divide-study-finds