Cultural Prescriptions for Burnout Pilot at the end. And a tool left legacy by the participants

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CCC
Cultural Prescriptions for Burnout Pilot at the end. And a tool left legacy by the participants
Cluj Cultural Center
Workshop
Health and Well-Being

Some weeks ago, for the participants selected in the cultural prescriptions programme for burnout, organized in Cluj-Napoca by the Cluj Cultural Centre, a new experience began. Some shy and introverted, others expansive, but still reserved, they started sharing their experiences with burnout during the creative workshops. Burnout, a condition that more and more of us experience throughout our lives, affects 75% of people who have a job, according to a study by the Mental Health Association. In 2020, 40% of those affected reported that the burnout was the direct result of the Covid 19 pandemic (MHA, 2020).

The participants accompanied by actress Diana Buluga, a member of Create.Act.Enjoy artist collective, went through a creative process that was specially designed for tackling burnout. The workshops encompassed artistic methods and interventions aimed to grow awareness of their feelings and bodies, to increase self-confidence and confidence in others, to identify stressors and become mindful of their reactions in stressful situations. 

New friends and connections were made, revelations happened. Some have found right away ease in expressing themselves, others gained ease along the way. They all realized that no matter how different we seem; at the core, our needs are essentially similar. We all go through different emotional states, we all need attention, relaxation and care. They learnt to use improvisation, music, drawing and photography to create awareness, relaxation and stress reduction. The experience proved rich in self-exploration, social connection, empathy and understanding. 

Among other creative tasks, participants collectively created lists of artistic resources that they resonate with when getting through particular states or situations. Their music playlists consisting of songs they love and which reveal for them a diversity of emotions, from sadness to fear and anger, to calm, courage and laughter, are cultural prescriptions that in their turn participants offer to others.

To play and listen to our participants’ music recommendations, access this link.

The cultural prescriptions for burnout pilot took place in October-November 2020 within Art and Well-being, a project exploring the relation between art, health and well-being. The project is implemented by the Cluj Cultural Centre (RO), BOZAR - Centre for Fine Arts (BE), Maribor City Gallery (SI) and Bruno Kessler Foundation (IT) and is co-financed by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.