Coordinating Association in Kalmar County

The pilot project Art and Handicrafts in Emmaboda (KoHiE) was carried out as part of the three-year program Health and Culture in the Kalmar county. KoHiE aimed to investigate whether cultural initiatives in the form of study circles have an effect on perceived health and rehabilitation in people with mental illness. The hypothesis was that participation in cultural activities is a form of rehabilitation that facilitates recovery and thereby promotes the health of the participants. Two circles, one based on art activities, the other on felting, were carried out during the autumn of 2015 until May 2016. Each circle lasted for 10 weeks with two hits a week of three hours/hit and was led by an artist and a wool craftsman.

The pilot project Art and Handicrafts in Emmaboda (KoHiE) was carried out as part of the three-year program Health and Culture in the health county of Kalmar County. KoHiE was planned as a recovery-oriented rehabilitation project aimed to investigate whether cultural initiatives in the form of study circles have an effect on perceived health and rehabilitation in people with mental illness. Two circles, one based on art activities, the other on felting, were carried out during the autumn of 2015 until May 2016. Each circle lasted for 10 weeks with two hits a week of three hours / hit and was led by an artist and a wool craftsman. The participation in cultural activities was a form of rehabilitation that facilitated recovery and thereby promoted the health of the participants. The community in the group was of central importance. The participants regain their faith in the future and for many it was to find a way forward, see opportunities, and to develop, both privately and in public arenas.