Inviting people to give creative expression to their relationship with their bodies and with food

Embodying Selves is inviting people to participate in a series of creative expressive workshops, ‘My Body, My Food and I’, that will allow them to explore and give creative expression to the way they see their body in a movement towards embracing it. Embodying Selves is a practise-as-research arts project that aims to increase awareness of the intricate link between the way people view their bodies, self-concept, emotional well-being, and the way they eat.

Dramatherapist Lou Ghirlando designed the project on inspiration from psychotherapists and dramatherapists who speak about the connection between emotional well being and eating patterns, as well as the way in which people play out their psychological patterns in the way they eat. She draws particularly on Susie Orbach, Chair of the Dove self-esteem project and co-originator of the Dove real woman campaign. In her latest book Bodies (2009), Orbach writes about the way in which society capitalises on bodies, and as a result of which people are de-sensitising from their own bodies which they experience as products to be worked upon rather than an integrate part of themselves.

My Body, My Food and I will consist of 3 series of 8-workshops that will be facilitated by Lou Ghirlando between August and December at the Osborne Hotel in Valletta. In small groups, participants will engage with movement, story-work and images to grow in respect, acceptance and love for their body. This will allow further connection with their own individual body and understanding of what it needs to be well.

Fees have been reduced in acknowledgement of the contribution to the therapist’s research on the theme. More information will be provided on application which may be done by sending an email to loughirlando@gmail.com or calling 99999562.

Embodying Selves will also include the contribution of UK based dramatherapist Catherine McCormack who has extensive experience in working with clients with eating disorders. She will come to Malta to give a public lecture and facilitate a professional development workshop for related professionals in November 2014. The culmination of the project will be a performance on the subject in April 2015.

The project is being supported by the Malta Arts Fund and the Theatre Studies Department, School of Performing Arts, University of Malta.