HOLY ROOD HOUSE Centre for Health and Pastoral Care & Centre for the Study of Theology and Health Company Limited by Guarantee. Company No. 4647338 Charity Commission No. 1099836

In one sense, all the work that goes on at Holy Rood House is creative.  There is that element of newness, of restoration, in everything from the creation of the chocolate chip cookie to the powerful relaxation of massage to the quietness of prayer and meditation.

Each person involved in creative arts shares what we can of our skills and experience to give guests at Holy Rood House the skills and confidence to use our creative media for themselves. All of us involved in the creative work at Holy Rood House are feeling our way - learning as much as we are teaching; receiving as much or more than we give.
 
 

When life is difficult for us, we may prefer to work one to one, exploring through colour, gesture, expression and process, some of the issues that have brought us to this point in our lives.  This may be painful whilst also enabling us to work towards our own healing within a safe environment.

Connecting with the creativity, which is within all of us opens up so many areas of possibility, offering the hope of change and transformation.  The possibility of hope nurtures the spirit within, a visible expression of creative energy.  This process is ongoing, unfolding, revealing, exciting, sometimes risky, gentle and loving and full of surprises.

Courses are held throughout the year in the converted 18th Century stables.

There is an excellent well equipped studio for indoor work.  Classes consist of not more that 12 students, so as to ensure comfortable working conditions and full scope for individual attention.

The garden has many features which make it an inspiring place to paint.  There is an old mill, a lake and islands, woodland, a walled kitchen garden, herbaceous border, summer houses and also old farm buildings nearby.  All this provides a rich variety of subjects for the artist.

The daily fee is £30.  Students are required to bring their own materials.  Lists of "things to bring" and local accommodation if required will be sent to you on enrolment.

Courses start at 10 a.m. and close at 4 p.m.  Lunch is provided and tea and coffee are available throughout the day.

Proceeds from the courses are donated to Holy Rood House.

Dramatherapy is the application of drama to psychotherapy.  It uses the healing aspects of drama to achieve the therapeutic goals.  It uses action methods to develop creativity, insight, growth and change.  The process provides a context for clients to tell their stories, set goals, solve problems and express feelings.  Clients have an opportunity to examine existing beliefs, attitudes and feelings and to experiment with new thoughts and behaviours.

Dramatherapy has been used successfully to assist a wide range of difficulties, for example:

• Relationship problems.
• Bereavement and Loss
• Low esteem & self-confidence
• Addictive behaviour
• Poor self-esteem

In Dramatherapy we use a wide range of activities such as poetry and storytelling, story-making and enactment, improvisation, mime, movement and dance.  We can use body, voice, music, painting, puppets, masks, costumes and props.

Using the healing aspects of drama as a therapeutic process,  Dramatherapy can achieve many objectives to help individuals, couples or groups overcome psychological difficulties which include:

• Bringing about positive change and personal development through understanding ourselves and our relationships.
• Defining and achieving personal goals.
• Building up self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Understanding why our patterns of behaviour exist and challenging destructive or negative patterns.
• Exploring alternate and positive ways of thinking, feeling and behaving.
• Using dramatic structures to rehearse these changes enabling us to apply these in our lives.
• Being able to express painful and difficult experiences within a manageable form.
• Using creative ways to identify and solve problems

The craft of weaving can be both "creative" and "therapeutic":
Creative  - using the mechanism of the loom, threads are interlaced to create a piece of fabric.  There is the sense of achievement at the end when you can say, "look what I have made."
Therapeutic- the actual process of weaving involves handling fibres, using colour, developing repetitive patterns, working with a steady rhythm, all of which contribute to a sense of harmony, well-being and satisfaction.

Weaving is one of those crafts that has been practised from time immemorial, from which we have derived from all sorts of metaphors for life, for example, the warp and weft of existence and life's rich tapestry.