The "Sound Based Microinterventions" project, led by Authentic Leadership researcher Kasia Głowicka, is a two-year research initiative aimed at developing a toolkit of arts-based micro-exercises to empower students. These exercises enhance personal skills like self-awareness and connection to surroundings, bridging the gap between students' professional knowledge and real-world application.
The project highlights the importance of essential personal skills, including emotional intelligence, resilience, and interpersonal connections. By integrating arts-based micro-exercises, such as music, movement, and visual arts, into daily routines, students can easily incorporate these structured activities into their lives.
Sound-based microinterventions use sound and music to facilitate personal growth and development. Activities like deep listening, rhythmic exercises, vocalizations, and soundscapes offer benefits such as enhanced self-awareness, stress reduction, improved focus, and a creative outlet.
The versatile toolkit caters to individual needs, benefiting students, educators, facilitators, and other professionals interested in personal development through creative practices. Ultimately, the project aims to holistically develop students, equipping them to meet contemporary challenges with emotional and social competence.
This project was a basis of a toolkit for Personal Development coaches. The Personal Development Toolkit was designed by Kasia, researcher of the Authentic Leadership Research Group, drawing from her extensive professional training and experience in music and composition. The development process integrated several key elements from established methodologies and Kasia's own innovative approaches:
"In a series of short listening exercises, participants are gradually challenged in expanding their awareness of self, others and their imagination."
After the successful pilot, the toolkit was expanded to students in the Creative Business domain. This broader application has continued to provide valuable insights and opportunities for further development.
As a recipient of the prestigious Comenius Senior Fellowship, Kasia is now working on developing a more comprehensive program based on the toolkit. This program will include enhanced versions of the interventions and will be supported by a dedicated team of colleagues specializing in arts-based methods.
This project has lead to the following results:
The toolkit is a digital tool for personal development. in a series of short listening exercises, participants are gradually challenged in expanding their awareness of self, others and their imagination.
Each of the exercises is 2 to 4 minutes long, recorded with original music by Kasia Glowicka. The exercises are indented to be performed regularly which is why they are so short. We are currently looking for funding to develop it into a mobile application.
Each of the exercises is 2 to 4 minutes long. The exercises are indented to be performed regularly. The small format is more applicable.
While Kasia led the project, the development also benefited from collaborative efforts with colleagues and experts in arts-based methods. Kasia formed a team of colleagues who specialize in arts-based methods to further develop and refine the toolkit. This collaborative approach ensured that the toolkit benefited from diverse perspectives and expertise, enhancing its effectiveness and applicability.
The toolkit was initially tested and piloted with students involved in the Living Labs at Inholland. These students engaged in real-world projects and challenges, making them ideal participants for testing the effectiveness of the interventions.
Following successful pilots, the toolkit is now in use by students in the Creative Business domain. These students benefit from the structured, arts-based exercises designed to enhance their personal and professional skills.
The toolkit helps to get creativity, self-awareness and empathy embedded into educational practice.
