Emergence: Cultivating Hope, Creating Change

Deadline: January 10, 2022 ***EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 10, 2022***

Image credit: Toll, H. (2016). Activation. Oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches.

The Canadian Journal of Art Therapy/ Revue canadienne d'art-thérapie is seeking content based on the 2021 CATA Conference theme titled, “Emergence: Cultivating Hope, Creating Change.” 

As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep our nations with new variants and waves, many of us must make unrelenting effort to cultivate hope. Plans or ideas for programs must change or be cancelled with an uncertain future based on protocols and recommendations to reduce risk of contagion. The need to inspire and cultivate hope is more profoundly needed as awareness of injustices, colonial violence, and personal/collective responsibility has continued to emerge.

The verb cultivation, integrated within in the second virtual 2021 conference theme, includes the active physical process of toiling, labour, and care to grow anew. This journal’s special issue, inspired by this conference theme, explores creative changes that have emerged from insightful, self-reflexive, and resourceful research and practices that have emerged throughout the pandemic.

This upcoming Special Issue invites art therapists to look inward. We seek manuscripts that include innovative qualitative, quantitative, arts-based, and community-based participatory action research methods to explore (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Research-based experiences from professionals, students, and/or clients navigating the continued murky impacts COVID-19 through self-reflexive practices.

• Opportunities for creative nurturance, professional development, and care for art therapy service providers to cultivate hope and meaning.

• Creative practices and approaches that increase inclusivity and widen access to art therapy support during the pandemic

• Co-cultivation of art therapy programs and practices through community-based, participatory-action, and arts-based research.

• Art therapy research and insights aimed to reduce systemic effects of COVID-19 within families, systems, communities, and societies.

• Art therapy practices and research that address and speak to ongoing political, social, and land-based injustices and violence.

• Nurturing Eco- and land-based art therapy practices to advocate and address emotions and experiences related to climate change (such as eco-anxiety).

• All other research-based introspective, creative, and innovative art therapy practices related to experiencing the continued pandemic.

Types of articles:

The Canadian Journal of Art Therapy: Research, Practice, and Issues welcomes submissions of diverse forms of original empirical research that are guided by CATA’s Ethical Standards of Practice. Submissions may include:

• Art Therapy Research Articles: Articles that have a clear research methodological base and theoretical orientation. Length: 2000-4000 words, including photographs. 

• Art Therapy in Practice: Practical applications and tools of art therapy practice, based in contemporary literature and a theoretical orientation. Length: 2000-3000 words, including photographs.

• Art Therapy Approaches: Theoretical contemplations and inquiries based on historical and contemporary research Length: 2000-3000 words, including photographs.

• Soundings: Perspectives, opinions, proposals, and artistic responses. This research must also include theoretical orientation and relevant literature. Length: 2000 words including photographs.

• Book Reviews: Please contact editor: journal@canadianarttherapy.org

For more information, please see: https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/submissions/

Submission Instructions

Please submit your manuscript to the journal’s editorial manager system: https://www.editorialmanager.com/ucat/default.aspx

Guidelines for submissions:

• Send submissions in MS Word format; blinded for peer review.

• Manuscript format: typewritten, double-spaced, with margins of at least one inch on all sides.

• Do not include headers, footers or other types of special formatting.

• Number manuscript pages consecutively throughout the paper.

• Provide an abstract that summarizes the article (100 to 200 words). Avoid abbreviations, diagrams, and reference to the text in the abstract.

• Attach figures as separate files.

• Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (Quick Reference Guide) for guidelines to prepare references, citations, and general style of manuscripts).

For more information on submission guidelines, see: https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ucat20&page=instructions

Note that the Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal also accepts submissions on an ongoing basis for upcoming publications.