TAPTA is a cross-cultural exchange that has been running in East Africa for almost 2 decades. It focuses on collaboratively training community professionals and paraprofessionals — from East Africa and around the world — on using therapeutic arts in their various fields of work and communities to help access voices where words are sometimes limiting.
For this year’s program, we had 15 East African participants from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda and 12 ‘visitor participants’ from the U.S. and Australia.
The two-week experience took place in Moshi, Tanzania and centered on participant engagement. Across the program, the schedule combined structured sessions with shared time as participants stayed and traveled together throughout the two weeks. Each day included therapeutic arts and counseling workshops grounded in experiential learning, with discussion and reflection woven throughout. The workshops drew on multiple art forms, including movement, music, visual arts, and drama. They also covered trauma-informed care, counseling skills, and ethical practice. Afternoons shifted to skill-sharing sessions. Arts-based activities supported therapeutic work and self-care and reflected participants’ own practices.
Additional activities included visiting a local arts center, group outings, and hiking on Mount Kilimanjaro. These experiences strengthened relationships and deepened the connection to local arts practices. Shared meals and travel carried interactions beyond sessions and into daily life. The program closed with collective activities, including the sharing of work developed across the two weeks.
