An artistic hand to lend
Government committed to sustaining initiatives for persons with disabilities to have a better quality of life
Art and music have an extraordinary role to play in the embellishment of the social and cultural tapestry of every nation. Their spiritual and creative properties enrich the lives of many, particularly persons with disabilities who learn how to uniquely express themselves by building technical skills along the way.
It was with great satisfaction to recently assist in the consolidation process of the Music and Art Therapy programme so successfully run by the Malta Trust Foundation since 2021.
The Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector’s investment of €5 million to support the salaries of professionals implementing the programme is yet another injection into the system of creative therapy that will go a long way towards helping participants to build self-esteem, enhance their communication skills and grow social and artistic skills.
It is, indeed, an artistic hand to lend to children and young men and women with disabilities to have an outlet to explore their creativity, discover new passions and boost their self-confidence in harmony with their families and guardians.
Aimed at giving persons with disabilities between the ages of five and 35 such opportunities, the Malta Trust Foundation’s programme will be offering specialised therapeutic sessions that will include appropriate music therapy and lessons, expressive art, dance movement therapy, as well as support to families of children and young persons attending the Foundations’s Art and Music Centre inside Dar Saura at Rabat.
This programme also aims at reaching a weekly maximum of 500 participants between Monday and Saturday of every week. Every participant will have a personal plan of activities and therapies, all of which are tailor-made to help address his or her specific needs in close collaboration with parents and guardians.
The best thing about art therapy is that it’s accessible to people of all ages, children and the young in particular, while highlighting their abilities and talents. As a government we are committed to backing and sustaining programmes and initiatives for persons with disabilities to have a better quality of life within their communities.
While the foundation’s programme is geared towards improving mental health, providing an emotional outlet, reducing pain, enabling non-traditional communication and building self-esteem, we will, in very concrete terms, persist in our efforts to help create more opportunities for the most vulnerable among us to enjoy a better quality of life.
Art therapy is accessible to people of all ages- Julia Farrugia Portelli
The chairperson of the Malta Trust Foundation, President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro-Preca, was quick to point out that the agreement with the ministry “will help bolster the music and art therapy programme for children and young men and women with disabilities”.
She said the past three years have seen a significant development in the potential talents and abilities of children and young persons with disabilities who attended or are still attending the programme. Coleiro-Preca described the government’s support in maintaining the salaries of professionals involved in the programme as “a huge contribution” towards further developing the programme that hitherto had been wholly financed by the commercial community on the island.
Such an intensive and beneficial programme requires constant monitoring and evaluation. For this purpose, two major committees have been set up. A task force that includes representatives from the ministry, Aġenzija Sapport and the Malta Trust Foundation who will meet every three months to discuss progress achieved, new initiatives and submit recommendations for future cooperation. And a committee of three external art therapy experts will carry out an annual evaluation of the programme for submission to the task force.
Creativity is an ongoing human process that is especially valuable to people of all ages but a marvellous way for persons with disabilities to have the opportunity to not only have a better quality of life but also to become part of an artistic community.
While aesthetic results are secondary, the therapeutic effect of creating something new through the use of various media helps to express inner emotions and deal with complex feelings. It is why we so happily lend this artistic hand.
Julia Farrugia Portelli is Minister for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector.