This Special Issue attempts to highlight the voices of dramatherapists with lived experiences in the diaspora, as well as those of marginalized practitioners who are underrepresented due to their cultural, gender, political, racial, religious or ethnic belonging (or not belonging). This issue’s purpose is to evidence dramatherapy practice in the context of diaspora, to celebrate the voices of those inhabiting the diasporic space, and to document the influence of these unique experiences in drama therapy practice.
A diaspora usually brings to mind a group of people who have been displaced, dispersed, or exiled from their homeland. From its Greek etymology, the term denotes ‘dispersal’, literally referring to ‘the scattering of the seed’. Thus, being part of a diaspora is generally construed as inheriting a relationship with identity that is intrinsically bound to communal experiences of cultural, political, and racial displacement. A diasporic healing may involve finding belonging, processing grief, and acknowledging the impact of generational and collective traumas. However, the dispersal journey may also be thought of as initiating a movement, for instance, by creating diasporic spaces through cultural practices. In this sense, the Special Issue is an invitation to reflect on diasporic aspects of dramatherapy in general.
Some of the topics that we are inviting contributors to engage with include: Transgenerational lens in relation to mental health and dramatherapy; diaspora and the body; displacement; identity, sexuality, spirituality, religion, human rights, race and racism, culture, diversity, and representation in connection to diaspora; mental wellness and self-determination; the relationality of whiteness and diaspora; othering; the forced migration of dramatherapists from face-to-face practice to online work; belonging and identity; kinship; uncertainty and diaspora. Authors are encouraged to be mindful of what may emerge from the complexity around displacement, identity and intersectionality.
The context of diaspora is valuable to the field of dramatherapy and of psychotherapy at large, as it acknowledges the nuance of collectivist cultures, as well as individual experiences often overlooked or underrepresented by dominant western, European, and colonial frameworks. A dedicated body of work in this field may provide a space for individuals to become acquainted with previously unrecognized common patterns, within a self-identified diaspora. Prospective authors are invited to explore their own lived experience or locate themselves when sharing clinical work in relation to their clients and practice. This call seeks to provide an inclusive platform to honour the sacredness inseparable from the backgrounds inhabited by clients and clinicians under the theme of diaspora. Contributions are welcome in the forms of:
·full-length scholarly articles;
·reflections from practice;
·interviews;
·reviews of performances, art, literature, films etc.;
·book reviews; and
·creative contributions.
Contributors are invited to consult the journal’s Notes for Contributors, and to follow the Ethical Guidelines laid out on Intellect’s website: https://www.intellectbooks.com/ethical-guidelines
Taylor Mitchell
