Taught by the group Somos Polen, in April 2021 the diploma course “Art, Personal Development and Shared Well-being” begins digitally, which integrates the arts in the training of people interested in promoting well-being through art. Members of Escena Digital and workers of the theatres that are part of Ópera Latinoamérica (OLA) will get a 20% discount.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “pandemic fatigue” – or generalized fatigue – is one of the main consequences of the escalation of COVID-19 throughout the world. In Chile, the data from the 2020 Social Thermometer survey conducted by the Milenio Nucleus in Social Development and the Microdata Center (University of Chile) confirms the situation, which reveals that, between September and October, 25% of people presented anxiety symptoms and moderate or severe depression.

This situation prompted the group Somos Polen to offer the diploma “Art, Personal Development and Shared Well-being.” This diploma was born from the current need to incorporate art and mental health into the daily life of people and the community, in order to promote shared well-being. The course will be held digitally during April and November on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chilean time. It is an invitation to discover the contribution of music, dance, theater, literature and visual arts in personal development, exploring the diverse ecosystems of art: the introspective world of portrait art with its lights and shadows; the spoken voice and music with its traditions and its vanguards; theatrical experiences and their transforming alchemy; the visual arts and their latent images; the dances, its rounds and the body in movement, and literature with its myths, poetry and stories”, comments Daniel Martínez, director of Somos Polen together with Paulina Hunt.

In 2019 the World Health Organization made a systematic review of 900 scientific articles called “Evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being” where a call was made to the government and authorities to apply policies that improve collaboration between the health and artistic sectors, based on the evidence of the contributions of art to the health and well-being of people and the community. Based on these scientific evidences, the graduate in all their classes will have a space for personal development work and will provide tools on how art can help us in our mental health.

“Art, Personal Development and Shared Well-being” diploma, delves into the following objectives; promote the awakening, exploration and experience of different artistic manifestations to promote personal development, mental health and shared well-being. It will also provide the tools to build lines of work and research, action on the contribution of different artistic expressions in personal development, work and social transformation. And finally, generate a network of encounters and reciprocity between people, institutions and organizations that incorporate art, personal development and shared well-being in their lives and in their development proposals.

“In current times, mental health problems have increased in people, either due to the increase in psychiatric disorders -stress, anxiety, anguish, panic, depression, alcohol and drug problems, among others- or due to the increase in situations that affect mental health, such as personal and social discomfort , violence, uncertainty, hopelessness and dissatisfaction with life. In this scenario, art plays a fundamental role in giving voice, care and healing to the subjective and the emotional that inhabits us ”, explains Martínez.

The diploma is aimed at people with different interests and specializations: people related to the arts, health professionals or those who are interested in personal development. “It is also for any individual who wants to grow in their personal, educational and work development, and for those who want, from the arts, to contribute to shared well-being and a better world”, concludes Daniel Martínez.

When?: From April 17, 2021

Duration: Between April and November 2021

Where? www.somospolen.com

More information: danielmartinez@somospolen.cl or +56996607425