ACU Veteran and Family Art Program

Art therapy techniques were very popular during World War I and World War II, giving both critically wounded veterans and veterans who suffered from PTSD a way to therapeutically express themselves in their own individual way. And studies have shown these techniques to be extremely valuable.

Which is why the ACU Veteran and Family Art Program has been created. It aims to promote healthy social engagement within the veteran community through structured sessions focusing on various art forms.

The program utilises art as a form of expression in a non-clinical setting to create positive engagement for veterans and veteran families alike, finding common ground through unique experiences gained in military service. This environment will be a space where participants can express themselves through non-verbal cognitive means. 

PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The program runs from 10 – 14 July 2023 on the ACU Brisbane Campus. Sessions are structured like a conference or seminar with participants registering and attending those sessions that interest them. Days are separated into morning and afternoon sessions, giving participants the chance to choose their own activity based on interest and availability.

The week will feature the more popular visual arts units at ACU, with sessions devoted to drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and ceramics. Each three-hour session will introduce students to the relevant activity, with practical catch-up sessions on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for students to revisit any of the disciplines explored up to that point. The Friday afternoon session will allow students to finalise any work and to set up an exhibition from the week in the ACU student gallery.

The units above are easily adapted into a short course format and are very flexible in terms of delivery. All materials will be supplied to the students, apart from the photography component where students will use their own smartphone cameras.

Register your interest by emailing studentveteranservices@acu.edu.au including your chosen session/s, name, and contact information. Spaces are limited so get in soon.