They are far away from home. They are seen, but not heard. They are vital to our economy, but are often overlooked or taken for granted.<\/p>\n
It can be a lonely, frustrating experience for thousands of agricultural workers in Niagara and across Canada.<\/p>\n
Brock University graduate student Heryka Miranda and her supervisor, Nancy Francis, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, are researching how dance and movement can be used to provide some relief from feelings of homesickness and isolation often experienced by migrant farm workers.<\/p>\n
The theory behind Miranda\u2019s methods is called \u201cmovement-based expressive arts therapy,\u201d or using our bodies to feel \u2013 and convey \u2013 thoughts and emotions that are often hidden, even from ourselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cExpressive arts therapy includes song, music, dance, visual arts, voice work, knitting; it could be any kind of artistic modality for the purposes of healing,\u201d says Miranda.<\/p>\n
\u201cMovement is a very unconscious, subliminal mode of communication and because of that, we will feel things, emotions, that we might have otherwise parked or pushed aside,\u201d says Francis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we release emotions, it\u2019s very helpful; in other words, we can put them on the table and we can say, oh, I didn\u2019t realize I felt that way, and we can deal with them and move on with our healthy lives,\u201d says Francis, who is also Associate Dean in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.<\/p>\n
Mexican and Guatemalan women and men across Niagara attended Miranda\u2019s experiential \u201cdance for relaxation\u201d sessions in Spanish, where they participated in breathing exercises, guided visualizations, improvised movement to music and engaged in meditative drawing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that I tried with the workers is, when we talked about a feeling like we\u2019re about to cry or we have this lump in our throat, then why don\u2019t we all just shake together and see how that feels for us?\u201d explains Miranda.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe connect with each other,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s really about being in the moment. It\u2019s trusting. It\u2019s vulnerability. There\u2019s no expectation that there\u2019s an end product. It is process oriented: working though the art to explore emotions, sensations, ignite the imagination, provide yourself permission to express yourself through the artmaking.\u201d<\/p>\n
And, in the process, \u201cthe workers get to know one another on a deeper level; at times, without even saying a single word,\u201d says Miranda.<\/p>\n
Miranda is studying what these activities mean to the workers and assessing how these activates impact the workers\u2019 lives. She hopes to develop programs that will increase migrant workers\u2019 quality of life in Niagara and build bridges between them and the wider community.<\/p>\n
Migrant labour is especially important for Niagara\u2019s agriculture industry.<\/p>\n