Creative and expressive activity within a wider social context

While the value of creative and expressive activities is perhaps self evident within the art world, this can be criticised as perhaps representing a closed and particularly class tied world composed mainly of middle and upper-middle class individuals with at least some level of higher education. To broaden the scope of the case for the intrinsic value of these activities I will be looking at their application among other groups within society, more specifically, the use (and success) of art therapy.

                From the pioneering work of the Barlinnie Special Unit under Alex Stephen, to similar projects among psychiatric patients and work with children, there is a wealth of examples of the success of these practices in a variety of social settings. I feel that this highlights the fundamental nature of creative activity with particular regard to personal and social development.
                Starting with psychiatry, I would like to first look at the resurgence of  earlier more radical aproaches to therapy that appeared in the 60s, (most noteably the works of R.D Laing and Wilhelm Reich) and why these approaches were sidelined in favour of chemical treatments.