Beats, Words & Moves: Inspiration Guide

Beats, Words & Moves works with refugees to support integration. Through musical means it stimulates change, development, stabilization or acceptance on an emotional, cognitive, social or physical level.

In the Beats, Words & Moves project, music therapist Thomas Deleu (Crea Thera) provides music and theater workshops in shelters, primary schools and OKAN for children, young people, women and adults, both newcomers and people from here.

Music is a universal language

In 2015, there was a notable increase in the number of refugees in Europe. Thousands of people then and the following years were forced to leave their old lives behind and went in search of a better and safer existence. The consequences of their flight and the challenges of living in collective reception communities are considerable. It makes many of them particularly vulnerable.
People who are on their way to a new story are in great uncertainty, the isolation is mind-numbing. That is why a range of creative activities in reception centers is anything but a side effect, especially if you want to stimulate the connection with the host community.
Through creative activities such as making music and theater exercises, you increase people's resilience and resilience. Music connects people through a language everyone speaks. Music clearly empowers children, young people and adults and has a positive effect in several areas: autonomy, relational connectedness and competence.

During music sessions, participants gain a sense of competence and decision-making power. They are stimulated to express themselves and thus increase their sense of dignity.
Crea Thera wants to encourage employees of reception centers and schools to get started with this basic package themselves.

Teacher, social worker, youth worker, training worker…: anyone who wants to work with this Inspiration Guide can call on Crea Thera.

Crea Thera offer:

• short basic training (1 or 2 days),
• coaching/intervision.