Sopharma and Libera Institute involved in a joint project for disadvantaged children

The Institute of Contemporary Art and Therapy “Libera” has developed the Happy Drum programme (drum rhythm therapy), which is intended for children and adolescents of all ages and is part of the campaign “Smile – make someone happy!”

It allows working with disadvantaged children, using the rhythm and expressive means of percussion instruments. Sopharma provided funds for conducting ten such sessions.

On 20 August, we started at the home for children deprived of parental care in the village of Doganovo. In September we will continue at Day Care Centre “St. Mina (Sofia, Kukush street) and at the Social and Youth Centre “St. Konstantin” of “Concordia Bulgaria” Foundation.

Through communication, synchrony and balance, the experts from the Libera Institute are working towards the rhythmic education and building-up numerous valuable features of the children. The goal is, by means of the expressive means of the percussion instruments and the rhythm therapy, to help children deprived of parental care to improve their communication skills and to deal with aggression. Especially in terms of adolescent risk groups, drums have proven their great success. The daily incidents of violence in the homes and schools show how important it is to teach young people to deal with anger and other negative emotions.

Drums are exclusively appropriate for such purpose. Through the power of rhythm, the negative and aggressive energy in adolescence is transformed in self-expression and interconnection between oneself and other persons. Such approach and type of therapy increases self-esteem, the children learn to communicate more freely and to successfully overcome isolation and social exclusion in the specialised institutions.