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• About the African Consortium of Art Therapy
• ACAT Mission
• ACAT Vision
• Purposes and Objectives of ACAT

ABOUT THE AFRICAN CONSORTIUM OF ART THERAPY (ACAT)

ACAT is a non-profit organization representing a multi-disciplinary team of specialists which includes medical doctors, psychiatrists, artists, writers, art historians, anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists, ethnologists, linguists, critics, ethno-psychopathologists, and psychotherapists, a traditional medicine doctor, an ethnomusicologist, an esthetician, and a criminologist.

ACAT is all-inclusive and respects the value and dignity of its members with due regard to issues such as origin,status, race, gender, age, beliefs, sexual orientation and disability. All members are dedicated to providing quality patient care with unrelenting total attention to clinical excellence and patient safety coupled with a supreme passion to assure the very best available healthcare for those we serve.

The African Consortium for Arts Therapy aims to use rituals, the natural world, song, dance and art to complement the healing of patients. ACAT’s aim is to coordinate the promotion of different art therapies and to associate formally with specific African universities. Methodology for art therapy lies in supplementing traditional forms of medical treatment with artistic expressions and values. This approach has been increasingly acknowledged both professionally and academically as enhancing the effectiveness of treatment. ACAT aims to strengthen this influence through the international exchange of staff and students. It also works to ensure that courses in art therapy are provided in higher education and to promote a practical academic experiences.

To increase networking and information exchanges among academic and medical institutions while promoting research into the advancement of art therapy and African spiritual healing methods and their applications. This would be done in conjunction with providing exceptional service to participants in ACAT programs.

To use a combination of traditional African spiritual healing methods with creative art techniques which would enhance the lives of participants in the ACAT programs.

To promote academic research of arts therapy methods introduced with African healing techniques such as dance, drumming, visual arts, and drama.

To promote maintenance and improvement of certification standards within the art therapy profession.

To facilitate networking through information exchange among academic and medical institutions while promoting research and the advancement of art therapy and spiritual healing methods and their applications.

To regulate the practice of art therapy in Africa, establish African links to art therapy through the international exchange of staff and students, and encourage the practice within Africa.

To build an international study program of African traditional art therapies.

To promote the recognition of degrees internationally and to grant scholarships for students to study and acquire this degree. Eventually ACAT expects to be able to offer these opportunities to Africans as well as a chance for them to participate in international conferences regarding art therapy themes.

In due time, ACAT will use networking to establish recognition and compatibility in educational and vocational training for African arts therapists within the entirety of the African community. It will also establish, with the support of international institutions, partners in a continental network in order to operate internationally.