Prof. Dr. Birgit Dorner

Professor of Art Education, Katholische Stiftungshochschule München (Catholic University of Applied Sciences Munich)

Biography

Education

• PhD in Art Education, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich
• Diploma in Painting and Graphic Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Munich
• Diploma & State Examination in Art Education, Academy of Fine Arts Munich

Research Focus

• Art and arts education, aesthetics in social work
• Art and Aesthetic education in early childhood
• Art education in memorial site pedagogy
• Gender and diversity in art education

Selected Publications

• Birgit Dorner, Ylva Sievi (2025): Creating healing spaces and promoting well-being through clay-work in children's hospitals, Arts & Health. 2025 Feb 12:1-14. doi: 10.1080/17533015.2025.2465419
• Dorner, Birgit: (2024) Ästhetische Bildung und Bildende Kunst in der Sozialen Arbeit. Baden-Baden: Nomos
• For more publications see: https://www.ksh-muenchen.de/professorinnen-und-professoren/dorner-birgit

Professional Functions

• Chairwoman, JFF – Youth Film and Television e.V., Institute for Media Education in Research and Practice
• Member, Professional Association of Visual Artists Munich and Upper Bavaria
• Trusted Lecturer, Friedrich Ebert Foundation

BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH ART: PATHWAYS TO SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT

Abstract

Arts-based approaches in social work can open up new pathways to self-efficacy, cultural participation and social engagement. Through creative processes, people experience their own capacity to shape and create, gaining a sense of agency by producing something of their own. Where verbal methods reach their limits, non-verbal artistic forms of expression often enable communication, connection and participation. Arts-based practices activate initiative, foster inclusion, and create spaces for empowerment and social change by building on individual resources and existing potentials.

Photo: Joerg-Wiesner Aschehoug

Svein Fuglestad

Associate Professor in Music, Creative Methods & Activity Subjects

Accredited trainer in the receptive music therapy method Guided Imagery and Music
Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University

Biography

Professional Profile

Svein Fuglestad teaches music and creative methods in social work at the Child Welfare and Child Protection Programme at Oslo Metropolitan University since 2007.

At the Department of Social Work, OsloMet, he is responsible for student skills training in working with personal attitudes and self-reflection through the use of creative methods and activities, mini-practice in the Activity School, and project work using creative methods in the field of prevention.

Svein Fuglestad has worked creatively and music therapeutically with people in vulnerable and exposed life situations for nearly 40 years, including 25 years as cultural director and music therapist at Aksept – center for all affected by HIV, Church City Mission in Oslo.

He is a receptive music therapist in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) since 2006. He has organized and assisted in the joint Scandinavian GIM Level III Training Programme from 2017–2019 in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and is an EAMI-accredited GIM trainer in this method. He was a keynote speaker at the EAMI (European Association of Music and Imagery) conference in 2018.

Artistic Work

Svein is a singer, musician, performer and event producer. Since 2022, he has been touring with:

"We are here to shine a light. An interactive musical story about ‘Widow’s Mass’ at a Gay Night Club on All Saints’ Eve", a performance which explores the HIV/AIDS situation among gay men in Oslo in the early 1990s.

Publications

Svein Fuglestad has published several articles and book chapters in the field of creative methods in social work and receptive music therapy.

In autumn 2025, he contributed to the Norwegian anthology:

"Children and the Seven Deadly Sins: Reflections on Virtues and Vices" (Original title: "Barn og dei sju dødssyndene. Refleksjonar over dygder og laster") with the chapter:

"Dare to Come Forth – in Trust. On the Pedagogy of the Red Carpet in Light of the Various Shades of Pride."

Education

Master's degree in Musicology, Department of Music and Theatre, University of Oslo

Pedagogical training, Centre for Teacher Training and School Services (SLS Pedagogical Seminar), University of Oslo

Advanced training in the receptive music therapy method The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), Danish Institute for GIM Education, Copenhagen, Denmark

Languages

Norwegian (native)

English (fluent)

Spanish (basic understanding)

DARE TO COME FORTH IN TRUST – HOPING TO BE RECEIVED
On Recognition and Social Inclusion in Preventive Work Through
Music and Other Creative Methods

Abstract

In a society where many experience exclusion and marginalization, art, music, and other creative and expressive activities hold not only a unique potential, but also a responsibility. They touch us, resonate within us, engage us, foster belonging, and connect us as human beings.

This keynote introduces 'The Red Carpet Pedagogy’ – a social pedagogical concept and practice inspired by the Danish thinker K.E. Løgstrup’s ethical reflections. It serves both as a concrete gesture and a metaphor, illustrating how music and other creative methods can promote social inclusion and help create a broader and more accepting space for marginalized and stigmatized groups and individuals.

Drawing on Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition, and through various examples from the keynote speaker’s more than 35 years of practice across the fields of art, pedagogy, music therapy, and social work, this presentation invites both reflection and participation – in ways that will unfold during the session – on how creative methods can open pathways toward inclusion, participation, and belonging in both everyday and professional encounters.

Zsuzsanna Filesch-Weszely

Associate Professor, Katholische Stiftungshochschule München (Catholic University of Applied Sciences Munich)

Biography

Zsuzsanna Filesch-Weszely was born in Budapest. She is a classically trained vocal artist with more than ten years of professional stage experience. She completed her university studies in Hamburg, earning degrees in music pedagogy, music therapy, social work, and social pedagogy. She also obtained an Orff Music Therapy diploma in Munich and completed further professional training in Waldorf music pedagogy and sociotherapeutic role-play therapy, concluding with a diploma.

She worked for thirteen years in music education across all school types, alongside continuous practice in music therapy and social work. Since 2020, she has served as an Associate Professor (Docent) at university level, teaching across two faculties. Her teaching and research focus on the role of music in pedagogy and in social work, with particular emphasis on the contextual and interdisciplinary application of the Orff and Kodály methods.

The Power of Music

Abstract

There has never been, is not nowadays and will never be a human culture on earth in which music and its parameters do not play an important role.

Through its complex psychological, physiological, neurobiological, social, and nonverbal effects, music plays a prominent role in the fields of education and social work.

On a psychological level, musical activities support emotional regulation, the development of self-confidence, and stress reduction, especially in disadvantaged children and adults. Its physiological effects include influencing the functioning of the autonomic nervous system and reducing heart rate and cortisol levels, which contributes to the development of the optimal state necessary for learning and social participation. From a neurobiological perspective, music activates multiple networks in the brain, including the reward system, motor and language areas, and promotes neuroplasticity, which is particularly important in compensating for developmental, learning, or social disadvantages. As a social impact, playing music together strengthens cooperation, empathy, and a sense of belonging to a community, reducing social exclusion. The power of nonverbal communication in music allows self-expression and connection even in the presence of linguistic, cultural, or cognitive barriers.

Based on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, musical intelligence plays a prominent role in pedagogy and social work. In pedagogy, it contributes to differentiated, inclusive education, enabling students to develop through their own areas of intelligence. In social work, the theory promotes a holistic approach, the recognition of individual resources, and an empowerment-based approach. In both areas, it supports equal opportunities and personalized development.

Gábor Tamás Fejér

photographer, visual arts teacher, dance therapy group leader

Biography

I graduated from the College of Graphic Arts and Book Arts in Leipzig with a degree in photography, then taught photography at the Hungarian University of Applied Arts for ten years. I then spent three decades working as an Art and German teacher and youth protection officer at a vocational school for socially disadvantaged young people, where I saw and experienced first-hand many different forms of psychological trauma. These experiences and my belief in the healing power of art inspired me to embark on training in psychodynamic movement and dance therapy, which brought about a decisive turning point: a new world opened up before me—an island of freedom, creativity, empathy, and self-awareness. However, methodological changes were needed among disadvantaged children and young people, which led to the creation of a basic, improvisational music-movement-dance unit involving drums and percussion instruments, which was named IMPROLAND, a land of experimentation and discovery that is constantly evolving.

My encounter with Orff pedagogy was a great confirmation for me, especially the university continuing education course at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, which, with its methodological richness, opened up the possibility of synthesizing community-based, playful learning and art therapy.

The aim of founding IMPROLAND – ADULT PLAYHOUSE was to create a community workshop that, beyond our own enjoyment and experimentation, was open to presenting various art education and therapeutic methods, seeking parallels. Improland sessions, which has been operating for fifteen years now, has also run versions tailored to different age groups for many years: in kindergartens, after-school clubs, residential homes for disabled young people, secondary schools, and retirement homes, mostly led by pairs, sometimes by teams.

The main instruments used in the sessions are sound trees collected from nature, homemade percussion instruments, and drums, which, in addition to providing a harmonious musical experience, become tools for movement games and further "playthings" that aid movement and dance.

My main goal is for participants to relax, let go of their fear of failure, and strengthen their self-confidence through their own experiences. I have found that the joy and liberation that come from carefree play make us creative and open, and through accepting ourselves and each other, lead to the creation of an increasingly friendly community.

Music is the language of the world –
interactive closing program on the first day of the conference
with Zsuzsanna Filesch-Weszely and Gábor Tamás Fejér

The performance begins with a 15-minute short film presenting improvisational group games with "sound trees" collected in nature, which lead into the joyful world of attunement through rhythm and movement and help deepen the experience of belonging to a community and increase self-esteem. This is followed by a short, on-site rhythm game with sound trees (with volunteers) and a short meditation accompanied by music entitled "The Tree of Our Life."

The purpose of further interactive musical exercises is to show how music, as a universal language, can create community and release the energies of joy.

The Role of Sensitization and Art in Education
Roundtable discussion

Moderator: Ottó Gecser PhD habil., Institute of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Social Sciences

Participants: Gizela Horváth PhD habil., Partium Christian University, Anikó Illés PhD habil., Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Nóra L. Ritók, Igazgyöngy Foundation, Attila Piróth, Théâtre Le Levain, Bègles, France, Dr. Júlia Székely, Institute of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Social Sciences

Art education and sensitization play a particularly important role in public education and higher education, developing creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-expression in general. It plays a key role in developing empathy, which is a fundamental element of learning, learning support, talent development and personal development. Art contributes to the expansion of cultural and social knowledge, the development of innovative thinking, and supports the advancement of social research, as it helps to deepen our understanding of human behavior, the functioning of groups and communities and their challenges, and to place global and local social phenomena in a broader perspective. At the societal level, it promotes awareness, community building, and the development of a more open, more accepting inclusive society.

Igazgyöngy Foundation

The Igazgyöngy Foundation has been working to combat child poverty in Eastern Hungary, one of Europe's poorest regions, since 1999. Through our continuously expanding work, we have reached the point where we are trying to influence all areas of social exclusion through coordinated, long-term, strategic work.

In this work, we not only work with children, but also with their families, the communities around them, and the local institutional system. Our model development is based in a small village called Told, which embodies all the problems of social exclusion. Here we run a school for children aged 0-18, hold weekly community development programs, and our social enterprise creates jobs for the village residents. If necessary, we help resolve crisis situations, but we also work continuously to prevent them.

Our complex activities grew out of a primary art school, in which we hold afternoon art classes for 650 mostly disadvantaged children at 10 locations each year. Our special methodology is widely recognized, and our students win hundreds of awards each year in domestic and international art competitions.

Through our patronage program, we are able to support 90 children from 18 communities with monthly scholarships and regular mentoring. In addition, at the start of the school year and during the Christmas period, our crisis packages reach a further 14 towns, supporting a total of 1,200 families in need.

Our entire work is permeated by community development and "empowerment." Our main goal is to enable families in disadvantaged areas to strengthen their children as a community, giving them the opportunity to develop their abilities and talents by building different life strategies, thereby leading to a better, more predictable life.

For 26 years, we have been working to ensure every child can reach their full potential.

https://igazgyongyalapitvany.hu

Photo: konyvesmagazin.hu

Márton Simon

poet, literary translator

Words and Roles: Being a Poet Today. A Conversation about Art and Society with Márton Simon

Márton Simon is one of the best-known figures in Hungarian slam poetry. He has been publishing poems since the early 2000s, and his first collection, Dalok a magasföldszintről [Songs from the Upper Floor], was published in 2010, for which he received the “Makói Medálok” award for debut authors in 2011, as well as the Móricz Zsigmond scholarship. His second volume, Polaroidok [Polaroids], was published in 2013; followed by his book Rókák esküvője [The Foxes' Wedding] in 2018, for which he received the Péter Horváth Literary Scholarship, and then the “Merítés” Award in 2019. The volume was also nominated for the Libri Literary Award and the AEGON Art Award. His work as a literary translator was recognized in 2018 with the Mihály Babits Literary Translation Scholarship, and his international presence was recognized in 2019 with a scholarship from the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin.

In addition to poetry, his professional activities also include translation, editing, program organization, and copywriting. He has also worked in spoken word, releasing an album in 2017 titled Mielőtt megszólalsz [Before You Speak] in collaboration with Levente Boros. In 2021, 99 Hungarian poems selected by him were published in the Helikon Zsebkönyvek series. Since 2020, he has been the coordinator of the Erzsébetváros Literary Scholarship and is also a member of the Szépírók Társasága [Writers' Association], the József Attila Kör [József Attila Circle] and the Slam Poetry Budapest Association. His texts have been translated into English, Bulgarian, Polish, German, and Romanian, among other languages.

The conversation revolves around how poetry, everyday experience, and social sensitivity intertwine in contemporary poetry: what poetry can do with the linguistic, political, and emotional burdens of today's world, and it will also discuss what role and responsibility a poet may or may not have in the public sphere, as well as how a personal voice becomes a social voice.

Social work and art – workshop
The joy of creation – Barcsay Circle

Moderator: Tünde Bulyáki PhD, associate professor
Participants: Ildikó Banyek, József Dubniczky, Tamás Dubniczky, experts by experience – Ébredések Foundation

The Barcsay Circle is an artists' circle operating within the open and inclusive framework of the Ébredések Foundation, continuing the spirit of the Mentonopon group founded in 1981. It has been operating at the Ébredések Foundation since 2014. For many years, the creative circle was led by art teacher Simon Csorba. Today, the creative meetings are organized by the Ébredések Foundation's experiential experts living with mental disorders.

"The community brings together creators, not patients, and anyone can join. Creators freely own their works and can collectively decide which pieces to exhibit, if the opportunity arises. In this way, the pictures do not decorate the walls of psychiatrists' offices and do not influence the diagnosis," says one participant.

The Barcsay Circle is not an art therapy group, but a creative circle. A creative circle where people who want to paint and draw meet, talk, and create. The works created in the creative circle are not subject to therapeutic analysis, but the freedom and joy of creation can contribute to the well-being of people living with mental disorders.

Workshop participants can gain first-hand experience of how the Barcsay Circle works through a creative process facilitated by experienced experts.

https://ebredesek.hu/barcsay-muveszkor/

Júlia Kosztka

social worker, experiential therapy trainer, university lecturer

Professional profile

My relationship with nature and the people and groups around me, as well as my community-minded approach, play an important role in all areas of my life.

My main goal in my work is to support the development of the people I come into contact with and to accompany them on their journey of self-discovery. As a social worker, I have worked with women living in homeless shelters, young people and adults who use drugs, and as an experiential and adventure therapy trainer, I have worked with children in child protection care, young people in aftercare, and social workers. Since early 2024, I have been working at the Semmelweis University Mental Health Institute, primarily as a lecturer in social work.

Natural symbols and experiential therapy methods – interactive workshop

The interactive workshop gives participants the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of individual and group exercises based on adventure therapy and connection to nature. We place particular emphasis on working with natural symbols and on introspection and self-awareness. A further aim is for participants to discuss the potential applications and dilemmas of these exercises in their own fields.

The program is based on personal experience, complemented by individual and group reflection, a short lecture on the theoretical background, and interactive professional dialogue.

Weather permitting, the workshop will be held outdoors.

Professional background and backstory of the workshop:

Social work constantly responds to social changes, which is why it requires proactive professionals with an innovative approach. This necessitates diverse, constantly evolving social work training that expands methodological knowledge and provides space for professional dialogue. This line of thinking is the basis for the interactive workshop I propose, which focuses on experiential methods, adventure therapy, and the possibilities for applying natural symbols and spaces in higher education and the helping professions. For more than five years, I have been teaching adventure therapy courses to social work students in undergraduate and master's programs. These courses have two goals: to introduce the applicability of adventure therapy methods and the natural environment in social work, and to support the development of professional self-awareness.

A deep, balanced connection with nature is necessary for human mental health and development, but this is often difficult to achieve in today's fast-paced, urbanized culture. At the same time, there is a mutual relationship between human mental health and the well-being and health of the planet. Spending time in nature reduces stress, has calming psychological and physiological effects, positively influences personal development, and increases environmental awareness and attention to nature.