M.A. in Expressive Arts Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
The Expressive Arts in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (EXA-CT) is a three year Master-program concentrating on the use of creative methods through the Arts to address conflicts within teams, communities and across cultures. The EXA-CT program provides students with frameworks for merging the Arts with conflict analysis interventions, trauma awareness and healing, humanitarian responses, and research. In short, EXA-CT students will learn ways to use the Arts for peace and co-existence. Distinguished faculty in the fields of the Expressive Arts and Conflict Transformation will provide instruction during three Summer School sessions along with support and supervision of an internship, thesis and community of practice throughout the year.
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Professional artists, peace workers, art therapists, mediators, educators, coaches and humanitarian workers are encouraged to pursue this Master’s Program.
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Students will spend three summers in residence in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. During the first two summer residency periods, they will follow courses on the principles and practice of both Expressive Arts and Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding. They will be taught by faculty members who are active practitioners in the combined disciplines. Within each course, students will be challenged to experiment with the application of the Arts in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding paradigms, along with group discussions and reflective exercises.
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In between the summer residencies, EXA-CT students will be expected to carry out and complete a portfolio, a supervised internship and a Master’s Thesis supervised by an EXA-CT faculty member. During the last summer session, students will complete oral and written exams and defend the Master’s Thesis.
Introduction
The Expressive Arts in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (EXA-CT) Master Program is a three year program concentrating on the use of creative methods through the Arts to address conflict within teams, communities and across cultures. The M.A. program provides students with frameworks for merging the Arts with conflict analysis interventions, trauma awareness and healing, mediation, humanitarian responses, and research. The program EXA-CT is specifically (but not exclusively) addressed to health workers, professional artists, peaceworkers, art therapists, mediators, educators, coaches and humanitarian workers.
Plans of Studies
Distinguished faculty in the fields of the Expressive Arts and Conflict Transformation will provide instruction during three Summer Schools along with support and supervision of an internship, thesis and community practice throughout the year. The EXA-CT curriculum includes three summer residencies at the EGS Saas-Fee campus. In the interim periods (fall, winter and spring), students undertake their academic projects, the field-based internship, and do a portfolio.
Expressive Arts, Digital Arts and Media KS
This module gives the student an in depth introduction to Expressive Arts in relationship to low skill high sensitivity, Intermodal Decentering IDEC® and the intermodal approach. Media today is an integral part of our culture and this module also opens up new channels of exploration where Digital Arts and Media can be used as a source of communication with the Arts and through the Arts. It can be taken on campus during the first period and is required for students who do not have any cooperating institutes in their home country that offer it as K module or for those students who wish to take the module as an intensive training program rather than have it spread out throughout the year.
Expressive Arts Methods - Interdisciplinary Approach P
Students will study the Interdisciplinary Approach through the principles and practices of Intermodal Expressive Arts Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding, learning by working on project design and implementation in the field. Students become familiar with resource and system oriented concepts of counseling and aid. They receive advanced training and methodology of practice, and master the language and discourse with its aesthetic responsibility in Expressive Arts Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding.
Expressive Arts Practice A-P
This 11 days Summer School module is run during the first period and focuses on group supervision from an Expressive Arts perspective. The essential aspects of an arts-oriented session using the method of Intermodal Decentering IDEC® will be introduced and discussed. Students present situations or cases studies from their practice and will also learn how to integrate the Expressive Arts in their work through various demonstrations. Live coaching is an opportunity to recognize and develop professional resources and to transform weaknesses and insecurities into strengths.
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Internship:
Hours adequate to the specialization (minimum 100 hours)
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For student’s doing a concentration in Education or Special Education: 465 h internship in education or special education.
Philosophical and aesthetic foundation - interdisciplinary approach D
This Summer School module provides an in depth look at the philosophical and aesthetic foundations through intermodal learning, advanced training and theoretical foundations, and by a study of body and movement in Expressive Arts Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding. Students learn to understand the process of change, and how to build resilience through Expressive Arts.
Theoretical foundation and research F
This module enhances understanding of processes of change in regard of resilience, salutogenesis, professional concepts, ethical and aesthetic issues such as the "Menschenbild" - in the context of processes of change, specifically with respect to the artistic process. In the process of writing a thesis project, the student will be able to cope with a special theme and formulation of a question on a practical, theoretical and artistic level to recognize resources that strengthen and broaden one's own professional competence and enrich the field of work.
Expressive Arts Master Exams E
During the third and last summer session in residence, students will finish their degree with Final Examination and Graduation. The students will complete oral and written exams on the principles and practices of Intermodal Expressive Arts Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding through a critical inquiry into a variety of schools and the polyaesthetics and Intermodal Method. Finally, students will present an Oral Defence of their Masters Thesis. Throughout the first two years, students are required to complete a theoretical foundation and research module (F), a portfolio, a supervised or coached field-based internship, intervision and a method specific training.
Modules covered on campus at EGS
Theoretical Foundation and Research (Module F) is done in your home country according to learning agreement and needs to be approved by your study advisor.