<![CDATA[ZAMBIA THERAPEUTIC ART - News]]>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:02:30 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[ClayWorks   New project plans!]]>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:44:47 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/august-20th-2026
‘ClayWorks Zambia’
Transforming the lives of children with disabilities through clay therapy
 Please see our short video with our plans!    www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cx2O-bi8zg
 
 The problem
The psychological needs of children with disabilities are often overlooked and this is especially the case in places such as Zambia where knowledge and resources in special needs schools are very limited, and where disability carries a social stigma.
If the psychological needs of these children are unaddressed the impacts of physical or sensory disabilities can be severely  exacerbated: When a child’s thoughts and feelings are not understood and responded to by adults, they experience isolation and exclusion, resulting in a dampening of spirit, loss of hope and distress. This may show itself in quiet withdrawal or ‘difficult’ behaviours; reduces their capacity to live life; experience joy, play, learn and make friends.
 
 The intervention
Training special needs teachers through the one-week ClayWorks practical course designed by Zambia Therapeutic Art is one way to practically and efficiently address this problem. Once special education teachers are trained, they will be able to use these interactive ClayWorks therapeutic skills immediately with children at school. Through engaging  in ClayWorks therapeutic methods, children with disabilities will be better able to find their individual voices and feel better understood and less isolated; increase capacities to play and learn and interact positively with those around them.
 
Overall goal The  ClayWorks project seeks to improve the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of children with disabilities and foster their better inclusion in Zambian society.
 Anticipated outcomes
  1. Teachers trained will be able to better communicate with children with disabilities using clay.
  2. Children will be better able to express themselves and communicate, fostering relaxation, happiness, capacity for learning, feeling valued and included, more regulated behaviours and friendships.
  3. Schools with special needs units will better understand the importance of psychological wellbeing for children with disabilities.
  4. Policy makers will be aware of  the importance of  the psychological considerations for children with disabilities and  consider inclusion in  school curricula.
Outputs         
  1.  8 schools engaged on the programme
  2. 16 teachers complete  the 5-day ZTA ClayWorks Zambia Course
  3. 160 children participate in  ClayWorks inputs in school settings
  4. 16 teachers complete  ZTA mentoring programme (6 online sessions;  every 2 weeks for 3 months)
  5. Evaluation report completed for funders and partners
  6. End of project report delivered to Ministry of Education
 
Why use clay therapeutically in Zambia?
 
ZTA trainers are all qualified Art Psychotherapists in Scotland and have been successfully delivering Therapeutic Art training courses in Zambia since 2015.Their  small  operational team, works with commitment and compassion to improve the lives of people who are cast aside in society through poor mental health or disability.  
ZTA is  currently building its training programmes in response to the strong evidence for the therapeutic benefits of using clay and in its suitability in the Zambian context.
The lead trainer for this ClayWorks course is a specialist in the use of clay therapeutically and  is using these skills with disadvantaged young people in her current role in the NHS.
Clay is a material that can be calming and can also be used to express a full range of emotions as well as motor skills development and interactive communication  and fun with peers. Playing with  clay is possible for most children with disabilities and many can use it creatively to make objects.
 In Zambia clay is available locally, mostly for free, so it is an ideal resource for this context.
 
Why locate the training in Eastern Province?
  Pamodzi Ndi Ana (PNA) (meaning ‘for every child’) is a Zambian Non-Governmental Organization in Eastern Province.  It has a long history of collaboration with international NGOs and local Zambian entities, committed to improving the living conditions of children through various interventions such as wheelchair distributions, construction, and skills trainings.
This  ZTA project will draw on its very positive experiences of working with PNA leveraging on their local knowledge of the special needs units and educational systems and their local facility which can be used for training. The  project will focus on further upskilling 16 special needs teachers who have already,  through  PNA’s collaboration with ZTA, completed  the basic ZTA Children and Young People Course. These teachers have had some basic training from ZTA on therapeutic art  with children and young people and know how it can open up and enable their pupils: They are very enthusiastic to build on their skills. They will be trained in  new skills  specifically using clay therapeutically to foster communication and understanding, thereby increasing belonging and inclusion. They will better understand the children as precious people with thoughts and feelings, and the children will feel understood, more included and recognised for who they are.
 
 Why emphasise preparation with schools and online follow up post training?  
ZTA knows that its courses need to be safe, delivered by professionals and evidence based, and sustainable. ZTA has learned from its Zambian trainees over the years, that  a training course needs to be complemented by follow up support and engagement with institutions if   the use of skills is to be maintained. To ensure skills learned are embedded in schools,  liaison with head teachers and follow up online mentoring for participating teachers will be integral to the project.
The current  tried and tested ZTA Mentoring Programme will utilise ZTA’s local Zambian Therapeutic Art mentors. Further, evaluation of the project will feed into the Ministry of Education for Special Needs to support why and how ClayWorks methods can best be embedded in the future curricula for all schools across Zambia.
 


 
 
 
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]]><![CDATA[ZTA goes digital; first steps in using Therapeutic Art to support children living with HIV]]>Wed, 23 Jun 2021 21:12:47 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/zta-goes-digital-first-steps-in-using-therapeutic-art-to-support-children-living-with-hivAuthor: Diana Mintal
The workshop is ZTA’s first training programme delivered remotely and was initiated so that ZTA’s work could keep going despite the current Covid-19 restrictions, which prevented ZTA trainers travelling to Zambia.
Lesley and Joanna from ZTA met with lead personnel from the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) in 2020 to discuss how the Zambia Therapeutic Art method may be incorporated into programmes for children living with HIV. This initiative is in line with ZTA’s objective to explore the effectiveness of Therapeutic Art with different client groups in Zambia.  A taster workshop for health professionals and peer counsellors from CIDRZ was proposed as a first step. As travel restrictions meant this could not be done in person by ZTA trainers, an online workshop was proposed. A workshop planning group consisting of trainers from both the ZTA and Zambian based therapeutic art teams worked with CIDRZ.
Picture
​The workshop comprised 
  • Learning about Zambia Therapeutic Art
  • Therapeutic Art experiential exercises that allowed the participants to experience therapeutic art for themselves – and feel how art connects powerfully with thoughts and feelings.

​It was delivered by a UK and Zambian trainer -- Liz (from Cromarty, Scotland and Mwazanji (Livingstone, Zambia) to 8 participants who linked in from 4 locations in Zambia (across Lusaka and Kasama, Northern Province) so they could each access the workshop according to local safety guidelines. Participants included members of the CIDRZ research team and HIV peer counsellors, and the Zambian  ZTA coordinator.
What were the outcomes of the workshop?
1. Awareness of the theory and practice of the ZTA approach
The evaluation exercise showed that knowledge about Therapeutic Art increased by 50%.
The created word cloud shows the keywords that were mostly used to depict their experience of using Therapeutic Art.
They said:
 ‘I did not realise how much of myself is locked inside me but constitutes a huge part of me. It made me change how I perceive or imagine other people’s emotions.’
‘Drawing of different diagram which had direct communication about myself.’
‘I learnt that a lot can be learnt through art and it is a good therapeutic method.’
‘I learnt that art is everywhere around us and emotions and thoughts can be expressed through it.’
Picture

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​2. The success of the remote delivery of the Therapeutic Art workshop  
The overall feedback was that the setup of the workshop and post-workshop discussion through a series of zoom calls with team members was effective.  ​
They said:
 ‘Facilitators were good in delivering the workshop’
     ‘What worked well was that there was total involvement of the participants, cooperation and interactive’.
‘The facilitation was outstanding and very much involving’.
 ‘It was well delivered and soothing’. ​
Picture


And in relation to their work with children living with HIV and their families:
​
‘One use of therapeutic art is such an important communication with different individuals living with HIV and other family members undergoing dilemma moments in their lives’.
‘Allow caregivers and children to express their feelings in a safe environment. Allow clinical care givers to concentrate on patients and let them feel heard and important. It provides a forum for both’.
‘It would help them cope with the HIV and may help CLHIV want to come back to the clinic’.
​
 ​Learning points for ZTA in remote delivery of workshops
  • Improve orientation of participants to the workshop 
  • Consider the need for local languages/translators for some potential workshop participants. Reduce impacts of poor connectivity and tech problems, by having a test run ahead of the workshop.
  • Coordinating remote delivery is more complex than in person. 
Conclusion
​This workshop successfully orientated people who work  with children living with HIV and their families, how the use of the Zambia Therapeutic Art method would be a valuable additional tool in the care of these very vulnerable people.
 Further it showed that remote delivery of a Therapeutic Art workshop is feasible and effective in the Scotland/Zambia context.
]]><![CDATA[ZART becomes TAZ]]>Mon, 04 Jan 2021 17:49:18 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/january-04th-2021As part of the Capacity Building programme for 20/21 ZART are being supported by Challenges Zambia to develop as a business. Registration as a Not for Profit organisation is being completed and they have adopted the name Therapeutic Art Zambia (TAZ). We will get more details  from them as the work progresses.]]><![CDATA[New structure within ZTA]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2020 22:48:30 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/new-structure-within-ztaWith increased manpower in the form of new trustees and researchers, ZTA is in a position to bring in some dedicated sub-groupings.
The Board is still the body with overall responsibility for ZTA in all its aspects and functions.
Operational Group: this the name given to those of us who have direct experience of the work in Zambia and are all registered Art Therapists. They are responsible for liaising directly with Zambian colleagues and updating the full Board. Currently Simon, Lesley, Liz and Joanna
Fundraising Group: Vera, Caroline and Simon
Research Group. Lesley, Sheena and Louisa.
Digital Group. Scott, James and Simon.
MEL. Jamie and Lesley.
]]><![CDATA[Welcome to our new trustees]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2020 22:43:21 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/welcome-to-our-new-trusteesA warm welcome to our new trustees, Caroline Buckland and Jamie Dale.
In response to the advertisement posted on Good Moves Jamie and Caroline have joined the Board. They bring a range of very relevant  skills and experience and are already contributing to helping us navigate these uncertain times and shape the plans for the coming years.
​
]]><![CDATA[New trustees needed!]]>Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/new-trustees-needed​We are looking for new trustees to strengthen our board. These are  unpaid voluntary positions. 
For more information please see our advertisement at https://goodmoves.com. The closing date for applications is 30th September 2020.
]]><![CDATA[Corra grant awarded to ZTA wrt COVID-19]]>Tue, 05 May 2020 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/corra-grant-awarded-to-zta-wrt-covid-19CORRA Foundation granted ZTA £500.0 as part of their micro grant scheme in response to the COVID 19 outbreak. This is being used to enable electronic communication for ZART.
​In addition, Micro Hubs have been purchased for the team.
]]><![CDATA[Workshops and research completed]]>Wed, 01 Apr 2020 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/workshops-and-research-completedFollowing the successful workshops run with ZART in 2019 Challenges Zambia using funds from the Access Africa Programme, completed research into the potential markets for both the training and practice of Therapeutic Art and appropriate mechanisms for delivery.]]><![CDATA[ZTA course delivered to MSc students]]>Sun, 01 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/zta-course-delivered-to-msc-students​The ZTA Course delivered by Monica and Kestone to Msc students at University Training Hospital, (UTH) Lusaka. Lesley and Joanna were in Lusaka completing the work for the Capacity Building year. Lesley delivered Safeguarding Training to ZART. ​
 
The Psychology Association of Zambia (PAZ) delivered a three-day training in writing of case studies to 10 Therapeutic Art practitioners. ]]><![CDATA[Capacity building grant awarded to ZTA]]>Sat, 01 Feb 2020 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.zambiatherapeuticart.org/news/capacity-building-grant-awarded-to-zta
​ZTA awarded a Capacity Building Grant from the Scottish Government Small Grant Scheme. Aims are to continue working towards sustainability with ZART and other stakeholders and to strengthen the evidence base through data gathering and case study publication.
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