The Arts, Health, and Society Division Newsletter – February 2026
Learn what is going on at EGS!
February 2026
Registration for Summer Session 2026 in now open!
Session 1
June 8th (Session 1 starts at 9am) to June 28th (Session 1 ends at 10pm):
Master Programs in Expressive Arts with Specializations in Therapy, Coaching and Consulting, & Social Change/Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
Doctoral Program in Expressive Arts
Session 2
July 8th (Session 2 starts at 9am) to July 28th (Session 2 ends at 10pm)
Master Programs in Expressive Arts with Specializations in Therapy, Coaching and Consulting, & Social Change/Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
Doctoral Program in Expressive Arts
(Applications are open year-round on rolling-basis)
For a closer look at this year’s academic program, please click below:
To learn more about our Masters and PhD Programs, please click below:
Phenomenological Orientation as a Philosophical Entrance in Education, Research, and Social Change: An Elaboration Using the Concept of Embodiment
Hybrid from 23 – 27 April 2026, Valletta, University of Malta.
The MALTA SPRING COURSE invites students, educators and researchers to embrace phenomenological thinking and methods as means of accessing deeper truths about human experience and enacting meaningful change in the world. Through a focus on embodiment, we can begin to reimagine education, research, and social justice in ways that are more inclusive, human-
Lecturers for this course:
Keynote Lecture on Embodiment
Prof. Dr. Thomas Fuchs, Germany
Karl Jaspers Professor for Philosophy and Psychiatry
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/
https://uni-heidelberg.
25. April 2026 at 3pm CET
Embodied relational reflexivity in existential
phenomenological research and therapy
Dr. Linda Finlay, UK
26. April 2026 at 3pm CET
Awakening critical consciousness with an arts-
based approach to transformative learning
Lynn Ditchfield PhD, USA
For general information about the location, course outline, tuition and schedule, please click below:
EGS would like to congratulate PhD student Amanda Gross for winning the Outstanding Dissertation by the International Association of Autoethnography and Narrative Inquiry! This award-winning dissertation explores how expressive arts and cultural practices support white settlers in navigating anti-racist and decolonizing processes to achieve multigenerational healing. Through autoethnography and family dialogue, the research develops an “Abolitionist Ethics” framework to transform systemic oppression and internal narratives like “Post-Traumatic Mistress Syndrome.” By utilizing creative “trauma containers,” the work offers innovative pathways for collective liberation and the dismantling of colonial legacies. This study highlights the transformative power of the arts in building more just and accountable family and social identities.
Expressive Arts and Global Health Program in Malta (Fall Course)
October 22nd – 31st, 2026
REGISTRATION OPEN
The Expressive Arts and Global Health program provides didactic learning and practical skills training for artists, peacebuilders, humanitarian workers, health care providers, teachers, and change agents from all fields who work with individuals, groups, and communities experiencing traumatic stress and crisis.
If you wish to learn more, you are welcome to join Shabrae Jackson, Chelsea Wilkinson, and Professor Melinda Meyer for a virtual information session on this course on February 12th at 6:30pm (CET). If you are interested in joining our email list, please email administration@egs.edu.
Stay tuned for a series of podcasts with EGS faculty reflecting on the 30th Anniversary of the Arts, Health and Society Division. Below is a short interview with Margo Fuchs Knill, who served as a founding dean of EGS and is a member of the original AHS Core Faculty.
Introductory Online Experiential in Intermodal Expressive Arts
Are you interested in discovering Intermodal Expressive Arts? We Invite you to join our online Introductory Experiential, a space to explore the core components of Intermodal Expressive Arts through both theory and practice.
This session provides a meaningful introduction to our unique approach to teaching and facilitation. Whether you are curious about our Master’s PhD, or Professional Development programs – or simply wish to experience this way of learning – you are welcome. The next session is February 20th, 2026.
April 8 – April 10, 2026
We invite you to join us for the annual Spring Symposium taking place virtually this year! Hope Rising is an open, global invitation to gather through the arts at a time of profound uncertainty. Rather than centering on what is broken, the Spring Symposium orients itself toward what sustains us as a collective international community: creativity, imagination, relational presence, and beauty as an ethical practice. Through shared art-making, dialogue, and aesthetic response, we cultivate inner and collective resources that support well-being, resilience, and socially responsive action.
Are you interested in learning about the AHS Masters Programs, PhD Program, and Professional Development (Continuing Education) opportunities? Join an upcoming information session led by Lucía de Urioste, Student Advisor, and José Miguel Calderón, PhD, Program Director:
- 17 February 2026
- 31 March 2026
Time: 16:00–17:30 CET (Central European Time)
If you want to join, please send us a message with your name and interest (administration@egs.edu).
We look forward to hearing from you!
** Announcements **
- Our next EGS Alumni Workshop Gatherings are scheduled as follows:
EGS Alumni Meetings 2026
EGS Alumni Gathering EAST and WEST – Winter
Hosted by Karla Beesemeyr and Rilana Vorderwülbecke
February 22, 2026
2 pm CET Meet & Greet and a Workshop led by Omar Shoukri, Whispers of Poetry
6 pm CET Meet & Greet and a Workshop led by Alba Torres, Unknown Skin: A Dreams Oracle
EGS Alumni Workshop
April 12, 2026
1 pm CET Workshop led by Jackie Pui Pui Fu and Ching Ping (Noel) CheungEGS Alumni Gathering EAST and WEST – Spring
May 17, 2026
Hosted by Karla Beesemyer and Rilana Vorderwülbecke
12 pm CET Meet & Greet and a Workshop led by Mita Menezes
6 pm CET Meet & Greet and a Workshop led by Hannah BehrensEGS Alumni Workshop
June 14, 2026
2 pm CET Workshop by Rilana Vorderwülbecke, Collective Trauma: A Personal Inquiry
EGS Alumni Gathering EAST and WEST – Summer
August 2, 2026
Hosted by Karla Beesemyer and Rilana Vorderwülbecke
2 pm CET Meet & Greet and a Workshop led by (tba)
6 pm CET Meet & Greet and a Workshop led by (tba)
- For PhD students – Please contact PhD Program director, José Miguel Calderon, if you would like to be included in monthly PhD meetings with your peers.
Join Professor Margo Fuchs Knill, who served as a founding dean of EGS and is a member of the original AHS Core Faculty, for the monthly Expressive Arts Poetry Gatherings on Zoom this February 15th from 12-13:30 (CET), hosted by the International Network of Expressive Arts Training Centers and facilitated by Prof. Fuchs Knill.
Our alumni are the torchbearers of our institution’s legacy, and it is our mission to create a platform that not only keeps you connected with peers but also offers opportunities for professional development, networking, and personal growth.
You can get involved by joining as a general member of our alumni community, or for a more active role, you can be a part of the EGS Alumni Committee! You could also help defer the cost of tuition for a current student by donating any amount in honor of a student you know or to the general tuition fund.
We can’t wait to welcome you and build a thriving EGS Alumni Community together. Reach out today and take the first step towards reconnecting with your alma mater and fellow graduates!
(Photo Source: Mina Mo)
(Photo Source: Chelsea Wilkinson)