FUSE#2

SCOPE #3
LA MARIPOSA BORRACHA -The process
by Shanice Stanislaus
What became fun, simple games that would usually induce much laughter would
be flipped to explore an emotional scenario/a situation in an illness setting. The
lightness we had with ‘Le Jeu’ allowed us to safely tap into unpacking the emotional
complexities with discussing and researching illness as a journey allowing us
always the opportunity to return to the laughter that begins the games.
Exploring with the local community
After researching on our own in a group of 4 with individuals who
experience illness and individuals who are caregivers, we decided to
take the investigation to local communities who may better add to
our curiosities.
We worked with the Singapore Association of Mental Health (Youth
Reach) and Caregivers Alliance using Le Jeu as a tool to explore the
journey of illness along, how that translates into the body and the
dissonance of illness in their own lives. It was an amazing time
getting to know these individuals, playing and dancing with them.
Through the games, we uncovered how one can move with great
pleasure despite a physical and mental illness or even the limitations
of having to always stay home to be a caregiver, especially as for
some of these individuals it was their first time dancing.
In terms of exploring the journey of illness the stages of the Kubler Ross model was
often brought up. The Kübler-Ross’ model was based off her work with terminally
ill patients and has received much criticism in the years since. Mainly, because
people studying her model mistakenly believed this is the specific order in which
people grieve and that all people go through all stages. Kübler-Ross now notes that
these stages are not linear and some people may not experience any of them. Yet
and still, others might only undergo two stages rather than all five, one stage, three
stages, etc.
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance were the common
emotional states that were brought up by almost all the participants through the
games played. However, they would also bring up various other emotional states in
their journey of illness that were never explored by Kubler Ross and also rarely
acknowledged in many academic and formal conversations of illness in institutions.
These states of Playfulness, Encouragement, False Hope, Emotional Disconnect
(numbness) and the Celebration. It was only through these games we managed to
uncover the emotional significance of these stages that were nuances to be added
to the current Kubler Ross stages.
These new discoveries added to the work helping us reframe this journey of illness
we would present exploring the dissonances between the phases or the
development of the phases in a real-life scenario when one has to deal with illness
in their own personal lives.
Photo credit: Shanice Stanislaus
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