ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to engage critically with debates surrounding the mental health and wellbeing agenda for adult community learning (ACL), with particular consideration of creative arts provision. It draws on a qualitative research project involving five creative arts ACL groups in the English West Midlands and two mental health participatory arts organisations based in London. Of the ACL groups, one was targeted for mental health recovery, two were targeted for wellbeing, and two were mainstream. Fieldwork involved participant observation, interviews and group discussions with attendees, and interviews with volunteers, ACL and art therapy practitioners, ACL project organisers, and managers working in the organisations taking part in the research and other adult learning settings. The article outlines key critical debates. It then interrogates three related themes, drawing on a range of evidence from the study: (1.) the discourse of confidence and self-esteem; (2.) interactions between educational and mental health and wellbeing-related goals and outcomes; and (3) the role of creative arts subjects in the mental health and wellbeing agenda for ACL. Implications for policy and practice are set out in conclusion, including consideration of ACL curricula and pedagogical approaches in the area of mental health and wellbeing.

摘要

本文的目的是批判性地参与围绕成人社区学习 (ACL) 心理健康和福祉议程的辩论，特别考虑创意艺术的提供。它借鉴了一个定性研究项目，涉及英国西米德兰兹郡的五个创意艺术 ACL 团体和两个总部位于伦敦的心理健康参与性艺术组织。在 ACL 组中，一组以心理健康恢复为目标，两组以幸福为目标，两组为主流。实地工作包括参与者观察、与与会者的访谈和小组讨论，以及对志愿者、ACL 和艺术治疗从业者、ACL 项目组织者以及在参与研究和其他成人学习环境的组织中工作的管理人员的访谈。文章概述了关键的批判性辩论。然后，它利用研究中的一系列证据，探讨了三个相关的主题：(1.) 关于自信和自尊的论述；(2.) 教育和心理健康以及与福祉相关的目标和结果之间的相互作用；(3) 创意艺术学科在 ACL 心理健康和福祉议程中的作用。结论列出了对政策和实践的影响，包括考虑 ACL 课程和心理健康和福祉领域的教学方法。