Program Overview

This program will train participants to help people use the expressive arts to respond to and bring about social change. Work in this field can be carried out in a multitude of ways, including advocacy programs, community art-making, therapeutic arts projects, social activism and the use of the arts to respond to situations of crisis, conflict and social upheaval. The program emphasizes the sustainability of projects and the resilience of individuals, groups and communities. The arts are seen as resources for coping with critical situations and as providing frames for the expression of both the joy and the suffering of human life.

The program will provide a theoretical framework for expressive arts change processes while also emphasizing practical skills through field-work projects. Students might carry out such projects within their own communities or in international settings. Applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds will be considered for admission: for example, artists, educators, therapists and social activists.   Upon completion of the program, students will be awarded a Master of Advanced Professional Studies diploma (MAPS). The MAPS can also lead to further studies at EGS towards Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy degrees. (Please consult with the Program Director for information.)