The paper draws on the case study that involved crafts-based hybrid workshops with a group of young people in care shelters in Alexandria, Egypt. A participatory action research approach was adopted to analyse in what hybrid formats of cultural engagement can assist in resilience building.
The purpose-built, free access virtual platform was utilized to address the digital divide challenge the target group faced, including a limited access to data packages. A supporting app enabled minimum use of internet data and allowed streaming of content without internet usage.
Non-formal education and resilience building are focused on development of personal skills with an aim to empower and recognize the potential of these skills to promote well-being. Adapted from Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), a modified scale has been integrated into hybrid pedagogic interventions designed around crafts-based creative learning (Connor and Davidson 2003). Utilizing recyclable materials to create craft objects, the workshops focused on supporting resilience building through developing the three adaptive outcomes - recovery, sustainability, and growth - as discussed by Zautra and Reich (2010).
The insights from the focus groups and interviews with 18-25 years old craft workshops participants and residents of the cares shelters in Alexandria fed into developing one of the adaptive outcomes of resilience ‘recovery’ into ‘acceptance and adaptability’. Findings evidence the ways in which hybrid forms of community arts-based pathways, in this case recyclable materials craft making, can be utilized to facilitate access to target groups, hard to reach due to remoteness and security barriers. Findings also highlight opportunities to engage care shelters communities in developing resilience resources during crisis and beyond and provide alternative access to cultural engagement.
