Mitigating the consequences of the collective trauma of war is a challenge for Ukrainian society. This article is the result of the work that has been done in Ukraine during the war and emanated from panel discussions from art therapy conferences in which the authors participated in March 2023, 2024, and 2025. These international, interdisciplinary, scientific, and practical conferences were held within the framework and sponsorship of the All-Ukrainian Art Therapy Association, together with First Aid of the Soul and the International Association for Creativity and Arts in Education and Therapy. The article contains a reflective analysis of using art therapy toward mitigating the consequences of collective traumatization of the Ukrainian people due to the war. Trauma in this context is considered as a systemic phenomenon, and the bearer of trauma is not only an individual experience but also extends to a social group—all of those who have experienced collective trauma over several generations.

The “Art Meets Books” (AMB) pilot project is an innovative partnership involving a charity, Paintings in Hospitals, an art therapist (the present author), and public libraries. AMB delivers arts workshops within public libraries in economically deprived areas in London and the West Midlands and engages people who do not usually access art resources. Through outreach work within Further Education colleges, AMB also engages ethnically diverse participants. AMB integrates a co-production ethos and art-based reflexive practice. An evaluation conducted throughout the project showed that participants (N=49) reported positive experiences of the project. The evaluation identified issues to integrate into the project’s future delivery.

Within rapid global social change and societies becoming ever more diverse, fluid, and divided, the social arts can contribute to maintaining a unified, tolerant, and coherent society. Social arts are often initiated by different stakeholders committed to health, therapy, political action, and/or social change. These are hard to typify and characterize and thus hard to evaluate. This article presents an overview of multiple theories and perspectives in the social arts and suggests how to incorporate them into an evaluative model preserving perspectives and goals of these different stakeholders. We propose a definition of social arts followed by an analysis in the context of fine arts, psychology, and social theories. Next, the challenges of researching and evaluating social arts initiatives are discussed, followed by potential pathways and instruments for assessment. This presentation of frameworks, challenges, and methods may lead to further research on social arts initiatives and their impact on society.

The objective of this study was to determine the impact on the reduction of mental health problems in adolescents who participate in support groups with poetry, those who participate in groups with other methodologies, and those who do not participate in support groups. This community trial, which performed in 2021, included 1252 adolescents, of whom 171 showed suicidal risk. Three groups were formed： a support group where poetry was included among the methods, a support group that worked on crafts, and a control group that did not participate in support groups. Greater recovery occurred in adolescents who participated in poetry. Recovery strategies can include artistic elements in their methodologies to increase effectiveness.

Considering the escalating mental health needs of college students and the stigma surrounding mental illness in Japan, this study explores how creativity impacts student well-being. Eleven students enrolled in an intensive 2-week course participated in the study, completing the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving (CIT) and post-course interviews. Total CIT scores increased significantly from pre- to post-course (p=0.04). Post-course interviews suggested eight themes, three of which are explored here: safe spaces, redefining creativity, and self-acceptance and self-compassion. The article includes a case study of one student’s learning journey to synthesize quantitative and qualitative findings. This preliminary study finds that creative activities, combined with learning in positive psychology, can help college-level students in Japan achieve a greater sense of well-being.

Competency is the core of vocational and professional training. Under the current situation in the development of music therapy higher education in China, this article analyzes the core characteristics and practical application of the competency-based education (CBE) model and puts forward reflections on the development and implementation of the CBE model in music therapy higher education in China. It is suggested that the music therapy professional competencies in Chinese higher education need multidimensional cooperation and mutual concern among colleges and universities, professional associations, and the job market, and the effect of “professional competencies” on the music therapy profession in China and their contribution to professionalization should be discussed.

This article delves into the intricate relationship between criticism and aesthetics, emphasizing its enactive nature. It explores how this relationship informs pedagogy and has culminated in the creation of an innovative undergraduate aesthetics course centered around the practice of writing critiques. Moreover, it illustrates the dynamic process through which practice gives rise to theory, subsequently influencing pedagogical approaches, and, intriguingly, circling back to practice. To elucidate this flow of ideas across the realms of practice, theory, and pedagogy, we introduce several key concepts. These include the paradigm of creation research, also known as practice as research, which forms the foundation for much of our exploration. Additionally, we delve into the paradigm of enaction, inspired by the work of Francisco Varela in the cognitive sciences, to shed light on the cognitive processes underpinning our study. This article is the culmination of nearly a decade of interdisciplinary research that traverses the domains of creation research, enaction, phenomenology, criticism, aesthetics, and pedagogy. Throughout this journey, we have sought to unravel the intricate connections between criticism and aesthetics, ultimately paving the way for an innovative approach to teaching aesthetics at the undergraduate level.

What started in the 1970s as a mark of protest and revolution, hip-hop dance, with its various sub-categories, has grown over the years and has spread throughout the world prominently among the youth. This greater affinity toward this street art form has captured the attention of multiple western researchers on identity formation, self-expression, emotional regulation, and resilience. However, similar research studies remain scarce in the Indian context despite the growing affinity of the youth, especially the ones on the margins, toward this street form. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential therapeutic elements in hip-hop dance reaped by the Indian youth in the age range of 19 to 29 years through a qualitative approach with interviews as the mode of data collection. With themes of “selfhood,” “impact on mental health,” “presence of community,” “resilience building” and “mind-body nexus,” the primary finding was of the strengthened attunement of the mind and body that favorably impact other domains of their life. Further research could explore the implications and applicability of the results in the therapeutic settings in the Indian context.