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Chicago, IL

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ITA’s 5th Annual Integrated
Creative Arts Therapy Conference

Our annual conference affords professionals and students an opportunity to connect and learn about clinical work, research, training, and representation within art, dance/movement, drama and music therapies.

Expressing the Unspeakable: Bringing Taboos to the Surface. March 18 - 20, 2021.

Expressing the Unspeakable: Bringing Taboos to the Surface, will explore traditionally taboo subjects, such as race, money, politics, sex, religion, and ability. In reflection on the events of 2020, we are now including current and relevant topics: the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disparities, healthcare access, anti-Asian racism, policing, white supremacy, and failed leadership.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 2021

Flyer featuring screenshot of Teams meeting with 9 ITA staff members with black bars over their mouths.

 

Peter Himmelman, Brad Drozdowski, and fellow attendee singing during Peter Himmelman's presentation.                                 4 conference attendees sitting and supporting the arms of a 5th conference attendee.

Meet our 2021 Keynote Conference Speaker
Britton Williams, MA, RDT, LCAT 

Headshot of Britton Williams smiling in front of trees.

Britton Williams, MA, RDT, LCAT, holds a master’s degree in Drama Therapy (NYU), and is a registered drama therapist and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings including: schools, residential treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, day treatment programs, and acute care. She currently works in private practice in New York City with adults and adolescents. 

Britton’s work also extends to non-clinical settings. In this capacity, she uses drama therapeutic techniques with organizations, companies, schools, and universities to help guide and facilitate discussions on: cultural humility and awareness; implementing creativity in the workday for increased employee engagement, team-building, and productivity; and self-care. 

Britton has published and presented on: the impact of assumptions, biases, and stereotypes on individuals, relationships and communities; creative and embodied approaches to clinicians’ self-assessment; and developing a relational-role theory framework and protocol. She is interested in processes that allow students and clinicians to use drama therapeutic and other creative interventions to illuminate and challenge their implicit assumptions in support of just practice. Britton is pursuing her doctoral degree in the PhD Program in Social Welfare at the Graduate Center (CUNY) where she will be a member of the inaugural Mellon Humanities Public Fellows cohort. 

Attendees during a dance movement therapy session connecting their fists and thumbs together to form a circle.                                Attendees during a drama therapy session forming a still scene.

Introducing Affinity Groups 

Akash Bhatia, ITA Music Therapist and Conference Co-Chair speaks about the Affinity Groups we will be launched in 2021. ITA’s conference committee is set to grow this years conference offerings of Affinity Groups for 2021.

 

Jenni Rook and Marni Rosen standing with 2018 key note speaker and fellow attendees.                              Presentation from ArtWorks with presenters sitting at front of room.

Sponsorships

Thank you to our past sponsors. Interested in joining this year’s Conference? Contact Jessica Gardner for sponsorship information.

Collage of past conference sponsors.