Mary Smyth (Ireland)
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Mary Smyth
Postgraduate research student at Limerick Institute of Technology (Clonmel Campus). Graduated from Limerick School of Art & Design (LIT) in 2017 with a First class, BA(Hons) in Animation & Motion Design. Currently working as a freelance animator & illustrator alongside studies. Research interest is in animation and storytelling being used as a therapeutic & educational tool.
For more information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-smyth/.
Abstract
The title of my research project is ‘How can short animated film be used as a healing and therapeutic tool for children living with familial addiction?’.
This research will be the first of its kind in Ireland and involves collaboration with Aiséirí – an addiction recovery organisation with 4 treatment centres (http://www.aiseiri.ie/).
The main focus of the project is to examine current research into animation as a therapy tool with the aim to help children deal with addiction and prevent a future cycle. The project outcome is to design and create an informed animated short film that will be used as an addiction awareness raising and prevention tool by the Aiséirí Addiction Recovery Services as part of their prevention programmes.
Focus groups with participants in recovery are organised to better understand the experiences of the individuals and to identify key addiction prevention drivers. Arts based tools will be used in these focus groups to broaden the dialogue and to help enable the participants to express themselves, sharing their stories, their experience and their opinions on addiction in our culture. A narrative methodological framework is being used to analyse the information gained from the research. With the knowledge and input from the participants the animation will be developed.
This project would suitably fit under the theme ‘ Animation as Therapy’.
Palavras-chave: addiction, animation, therapy, art therapy, prevention
