Report on the 11th International Expressive Arts Therapy Association Conference in Hong Kong, China: The Flowing Tao of Expressive Arts Therapy

The Flowing Tao of Expressive Arts Therapy, the theme of the 11th International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) created “the way” to bridge the wisdom of the East to that of the West. This conference birthed a global village at the Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village, Hong, Kong where over 400 people gathered to honor the Eastern and Western practitioners, artists, educators and their acumen in expressive arts. As the first IEATA conference in Asia, two thirds of the participants were from Asian countries, demonstrating the vibrancy of expressive arts in Asia as well as coupling with the West, with 26 countries represented! The intention of the conference was to create a community that invited formal and informal dialog, as well as making the conference affordable to many who live in developing countries through the numerous scholarships offered. The choice of the Youth Village provided a setting in which we all lived, ate, played and studied together with a taste of nature in urban Hong Kong. The feedback we received reflected our intention that the conference enhance dialog and bonding among our many international participants.