Within this research project, Fontys and HKU together explore how art can offer meaningful guidance
during the final stage of life, in partnership with healthcare provider Vitalis hBecause traditional healthcare is strongly focused on solving problems, the existing methodology often provide insufficient answers in existential questions around life and death. Especially with clients who have alzheimer’s and for whom communication does not per definition happen through language.
Co-creation between healthcare professionals and artists
The project connects healthcare and wellness professionals to artists, for the purpose of developing – through co-creation – new sensory-based forms of contact and sense-making. Via rituals, touch, sounds or movement, alternative languages can arise that help to shape a feeling of closeness, attunement and human connection. Two core aspects are worked on: The collective development of ritual work forms that support existential care, and the design of new means to recognise and evaluate care moments, even if these cannot be measured with the traditional impact models in healthcare.
Intended results
The results consist of a practical toolkit for existential reflection and concrete examples that are useful for other healthcare institutions and artists. The insights are shared via workshops, meetings and accessible class materials for training healthcare professionals and artists in education, so that future professionals can also work with the new methods. The developed work methods can be applied flexibly.
Felt and shared between inpatients and careworkers
Voorbij probleemoplossing not only delivers new forms of healthcare, but also offers a broader perspective on the possible meanings of impact within the elderly care. Instead of something that should simply be measurable, but as soemthing and can be felt and shared within the interactions, in a way that is meaningful for both inpatients and healthcare providers.
The partnership
Voorbij probleemoplossing: Kunst als gids in existentiële ontmoeting is a collaboration between the professorship Impact als respons-abiliteit (‘Impact as response-ability’) at Fontys and the HKU professorship Creative Practices and Entrepreneurship in the Arts..
Do you have any questions or would like to know more about this project? Please contact Lies Wijnterp: lies.wijnterp@hku.nl.
