Stuck in separation: Liminality, graffiti arts and the forensic institution as a failed rite of passage

Forensic psychiatric institutions are tasked with both containment and transformation; with securely policing the border between institution and society and readying patients for return to the community. Forensic institutions can thus be theorised as a form of ‘rite of passage’, engaged in a process of transformation which both navigates and demarcates social limits. This article contributes to literature on risk and control in clinical institutions by offering a novel theoretical synthesis of features of rites of passage and liminality, as facilitated by an art project in a forensic setting. Through the prism of the Graffiti and Wellbeing Project (GWP), an arts initiative, we explore the ways in which forensic institutions thus offer or impede opportunities for transformation. The project engendered a space for the transformation of difficult emotions and histories through the medium of art creating a liminal space of transformation within the confines of a secure institution. Drawing on Douglas, Kristeva and Bahktin, we argue that forensic institutions largely attempt to manage their own transgressive, marginal status, and the abject experiences of patients, through a recourse to order, suppression and sublimation. We argue for a wider range of responses to the transgressive and marginal experiences and behaviours prevalent in forensic settings, drawing on examples from the GWP

Electronic European Language Portfolio

This is a proposal of digital implementation of a European Language Portfolio (ELP), useful for learners of foreign languages. The Council of Europe has recently stated that language teaching and learning are key elements towards European integration and mobility. This firm belief is at the root of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (2001). One important aspect underlined by the Framework is the need for the European citizen to have a personal document describing all his/her linguistic experiences and certifications. This document is called the European Language Portfolio - ELP. At present many European Institutions have already accepted the suggestions given by the Framework and have created different paper versions of the Portfolio adapting the European ELP format to their specific needs. However the paper editions present some limits that may be overcome by a digital version of the ELP. We aim at creating a digital ELP for university students which would bring many advantages in terms of ODL

Electronic European Language Portfolio

This is a proposal of digital implementation of a European Language Portfolio (ELP), useful for learners of foreign languages. The Council of Europe has recently stated that language teaching and learning are key elements towards European integration and mobility. This firm belief is at the root of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (2001). One important aspect underlined by the Framework is the need for the European citizen to have a personal document describing all his/her linguistic experiences and certifications. This document is called the European Language Portfolio - ELP. At present many European Institutions have already accepted the suggestions given by the Framework and have created different paper versions of the Portfolio adapting the European ELP format to their specific needs. However the paper editions present some limits that may be overcome by a digital version of the ELP. We aim at creating a digital ELP for university students which would bring many advantages in terms of ODL