I am honoured and pleased that the in-put of Birmingham Centre for Arts Therapies (BCAT), represented by Terry Brathwaite (Dance Movement Therapist), myself (Music Therapist) and Julie Buxton (Art Therapist), should have been able to assist in the formalising of a National Arts Therapies Association ("Teris") in Kazakhstan. We wish Irina, Svetlana and all involved in blazing this new trail, the very best in their endeavours and offer them every assistance in the future. In Britain, we have travelled this road for many years and have experienced some of the pitfalls involved in achieving State Registration for Arts Therapists! I would also like to add to my thanks, those who enabled our visit through financial sponsorship and those within the British Council, Kazakhstan, who superbly managed our two visits.
The article recently published, appeared to concentrate on the Music Therapy aspect of the seminars. I am naturally pleased that this was so, being a Music Therapist myself, but would also like to enquire as to the significance of Dance and Art to the Kazakh people. It would seem to me that all forms of arts have been used from ancient times in healing rituals. Perhaps the authors could continue in a future article to describe the significance of Dance, Art and indeed Drama, in their history of cultural healing, especially as so many different cultures are represented in modern Kazakhstan. Are the present writers implying that music holds greater potency for healing than the other art forms?
Furthermore, it is my belief that although each discipline is a profession in its own right, yet it is through the interaction and cross-cultural relationships of all four arts therapies that a client may experience maximum potential for healing. In line with my current PhD studies, I would like to ask all readers of this discussion, "What are the characteristics of each discipline that are unique to each Art Form?" If such characteristics exist, does this imply that one art form might be more recommended for intervention with a specific client group than another?
Good luck and may you pioneers of Arts Therapies in Kazakhstan have great success in 2005! I await your replies with interest.