Impulse Days in Music Therapy

The war in Ukraine also influences the work of artasfoundation in Zurich. This summer, three projects took place exclusively at the foundation’s legal headquarters. One of the projects that was designed for Ukrainian musicians who are based in Switzerland, took the form of a series of introductory days focused on training possibilities and the professional field of music therapy. The project was accompanied by the question of what therapeutic approaches could be explored by musicians – like other artists – without the need to obtain an appropriate degree or qualification.

During these preliminary days, participants learned about the music therapy training programme at the Zurich University of the Arts and the Association of Music Therapists in Ukraine. 

For complementary practical experience, they visited the Integrative Training Center iac, the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, the Schule für ungehinderte Musik SFMU in Basel, and the Frankental Residential Center. Throughout the programme, the group was supported by Tetiana Chernous, a music therapist from Ukraine, who travelled to Zurich specifically for the Impulse Days in Music Therapy. She provided the participants with insights into the possibilities of education in Ukraine, shared her experiences of working in music therapy there, and discussed her music therapeutic activities with Ukrainian refugees in Romania.