Art and Co-creation for the Community Promotion of Affective Sexual Health in Catalonia

Excerpt

Applying a health promotion approach in the sphere of international health care and immigrant populations requires leveraging social construction processes from an intercultural and gender perspective. These processes, especially with regard to affective sexual health (ASH), are influenced by biological, psychological, social, cultural, and religious determining factors. Working across these determinants presents a challenge that requires participative, innovative, and creative methodologies to be used within the community through artistic co-creation processes. Artistic endeavors are a part of community life. The Diverxualitat program evolved from the melding of art and co-creation in the fields of international health care, ASH, and interculturality. Diverxualitat is intended to improve access to ASH in the particular context of the various immigrant communities residing in Catalonia, focusing on the process of artistic co-creation within the communities. It is based on two core concepts: (1) the definitions and conceptions of the community are highly influential, and (2) expressive arts and intercultural perspectives regarding ASH are key. Together, these two concepts generate creative processes led by the communities and give rise to a number of highly valuable and effective tools, notably Diverxualitat’s Espictools.