Maria Kozakowska

The influence of cinema, which has always been a mediator between art and social phenomena is undeniable, especially as it relies on the visual aspect, which currently plays a dominant role in creating image and identity. The examination of fair treatment of mentally ill people by an interdisciplinary filter of health humanities bonding the knowledge of STEM and social sciences with art is a theoretical and practical axis of this article. The article criticizes the status quo between film and entertainment in perspective of narration supposedly strengthening the positive image of the mentally ill, as well as introduces the profiles of various forms of education through film in the area of mental health. The aim of the article is to present the principles of the original educational initiative Film Transgressions that had been carried through during the summer semester 2014/15 under the patronage of The Institute of Social Therapy and Education, The Institute of Sociology of Jagiellonian University and the Department of Social Work Ethics of the University of John Paul II. The results of attempts at finding a method of engaging people, who in their education or professional practice may encounter the mentally ill, are enriched with a description of texts and movies acting as didactic assistance for educators, being also useful for social science adepts and social workers.

The art of relations: theatre – social work. Co-creation of a theatrical group by mentally ill persons as a creative form of empowerment.

This article aims to recognize the potential of theatre in the process of social work in Poland, taking into account the perspective of globally-used solutions as well as local conditions that mentally ill persons find themselves in. The results presented here originate from a qualitative study based on the method of participatory observation as well as interviews with members and creators of four polish theatres aim to show the role that belonging to a theatrical group plays in the process of empowerment. The research findings suggest that it is possible to treat the co-creation of theatrical groups by  persons suffering from mental illnesses as a form of a social rehabilitation, underlining the meaning of self-determination, the sensation of having influence, the development of relationships as well as the possibility of identification with the status of an actor despite the increasing symptoms of illnesses. The experience of theatre, which helps to create the reality of human condition, carries with itself not just the reflection on a certain intangiblity of the contact between a social worker and a client, the deeply human imperative of help, but foremost the revelation of an inner covenant between social work and art, being fulfilled in unceasing improvement and the search for better ways to communicate.