'Nobody else in Canada offers an integrated program like this'
The Centre for the Arts in Human Development employs creative arts therapies to enhance the quality of life for adults with developmental disabilities. | Photo by Concordia University
On May 4, an open house at Concordia’s Centre for the Arts in Human Development (CAHD) will offer the public an opportunity to participate in experiential workshops in art, music and dance, and learn about the centre and its activities first-hand.
For those not in the know, CAHD is a Concordia-based educational, clinical and research centre dedicated to promoting personal growth for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The centre integrates therapeutic programs in creative arts therapies with student education and training, research, and public awareness initiatives.
“We are offering workshops so the community can experience some of the activities that our participants partake in as part of their therapy,” explains logistical coordinator Jennifer Mosher.
Program participants will assist therapists in leading workshops — something Mosher believes demonstrates the personal development of the centre’s clientele. “A lot of our participants would not have been able to help give a workshop when they first arrived at the centre. This is a testament to their growth over the last year,” she says.
The lunch hour will feature activities led by the Pro Bono Playback Theatre Ensemble, composed of students from Concordia’s Drama Therapy, Music Therapy and Contemporary Dance programs. The playback technique — where people tell stories from their personal lives, which are then re-enacted — is used as an important part of the development of the centre’s popular ethnodramas.
“Nobody else in Canada offers an integrated program like this,” says Lenore Vosberg, director of clinical services and public outreach at the CAHD. “Here’s a chance for people to meet our participants and therapists while having some fun at the same time.”
The open house takes place on May 4, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the St-Ignatius of Loyola Parish Hall (4455 West Broadway St.). The cost is $10, including lunch. Reserve your space by contacting Poppy Baktis at 514-848-8616, or via email: Poppy.Baktis@concordia.ca.