To visit Tamil Nadu as a practicing Art Therapist for a six month period from October 2005 - March 2006.

The aim of this working visit will be to develop an inter-cultural exchange between the local clinical approaches and practices developed by the mental health and social care agencies in a predominantly rural area near Pondicherry and the approach and practice of art-psychotherapy

During my 6 month stay I will work alongside existing arts/mental health/therapy projects as well as offering to provide a short term intervention where this is seen as beneficial.

The data generated through the research project will consider the following::

* Local, rural, cultural and historical characteristics of people of the region.

* Language, customs, ritual and the role of art and artefacts.

* Parenting, family structure and attachment theory.

* Social and health care services in adult mental health.

* The introduction of an art-psychotherapy research group.

The benefits of this project include:

* contribution to the research base in the profession in the area of inter-cultural studies .

* discussion groups and seminars in India will promote the inter-cultural exchange in relation to the research project.

* promotion of a research framework which can be used by others in India and the art therapy profession.

* publication of the process and the outcomes in the professional journal.

* increase the practitioners knowledge and awareness of Tamilian culture, the mental health interventions in Tamil Nadu and the value of art therapy interventions.

2.1. Field research methodology will be:

* Ethnocentric approach (not comparative with western constructs)

* Qualitative research (interpretative) based on engagement, observation, self reflection and experiential feedback

* To promote an inter-cultural exchange of social, political and arts based experience and expression of experience .

* Narrative data will be collected through observation and interviews, both structured and unstructured and will be presented along with case examples

* Quantative data will be collated through the use of questionnaires and interviews during the pre-group (assessment stage); mid-group and evaluation

* three contact groups will provide the core data; these will consist of a hospital group (A), a community group (B) and control group (C)

2.2. The project aims are as follows:

* To generate the sharing of practice and experience with the aim to increase theoretical developments in Art Therapy practice

* To share knowledge and experience across cultural and health care settings

* To promote an exchange of treatment interventions and assess response and suitability of art therapy in South India

* To develop papers and pictures from this project, into a publication that will benefit Tamil health and research specialists, the wider BAAT membership and to add to the profession’s theoretical literature

2.3. The time table of planning:

* Project research framework and model available August 2005

* Authorised web links by end September 2005

* Research project, 6 months duration: October 2005 - March 2006

* Seminars and workshops planned in Tamil Nadu during the field research phase and in London during the evaluation process

* Research outcomes and discussion paper available in June 2006

*Papers ready to submit for publication September 2006 - Findings to be presented at the Annual Art Therapy Trust Lecture in March 2007

3.1. collation of data and key criteria:

* The initial interviews with key parties will raise themes and categories which will be developed through the research period

* The Cultural Context questionnaire will analyse the cultural norms in relation to communication and expression through artefacts and ritual; psychological models and treatment theory and approach. As key criteria they will be indexed and cross-referenced with qualitative data.

* The client-centred MYMOP questionnaire will track the personal experiences of clients who are involved in the contact group research; this data will be specific in terms of the subject experience of treatment, self-specified symptoms and resulting change.

* Observation, narratives, self-reflection and case studies will generate criteria and themes which will link in with pre-established categories and will be indexed throughout

3.2. comparative data

* The MYMOP tracking questionnaire will be used across the same group three times and will also be used against three different and concurrent groups.

*The categories and themes which develop over the course of the research period will form the basis of key research indices; all qualitative and reflective data will be cross-referenced with these indices in order to build a coherent picture of context and client-centred experience along with the researcher’s personal and self reflections.

3.3. All research material will be logged and filed for future referencing. All parties would have signed a consent form which will enable the use of all material, transcripts, questionnaires and artefacts (images and pictures) to be used in research related presentations.

3.4. How will outcomes be presented and promoted:

* The project has been planned to develop over a 6 month period and by its very nature it requires a close working relationship with colleagues and clients living and working in the local community. The initial findings and outcomes will therefore develop within the area around Pondicherry; the presentation of the research findings will therefore take place locally, with all those involved.

* I have planned a number of seminars in London due to take place after my return where I will reflect on the research process and outcomes

* All research material, data and images will be logged, referenced and collated and will form the basis of all written and verbal presentations

* All verbal and written presentations will be summarised into a professional paper which will be used as the framework for presentation at the Annual Art Therapy Trust Lecture in March 2007.