THE COMMUNITY TABLE

December 2025

We are delighted to announce that one of our core team members Dr Miriam Usiskin has been awarded an Educational Doctorate for her thesis on The Community Table. Miriam has been a core member of our cross-Channel and training teams for nearly a decade. Please read her research summary below.

The Community Table (TCT) acts as a welcoming space that encourages reflection, imagination, curiosity, care, humour, hope, and meaning-making for everyone present.

My thesis investigates TCT—an innovative art therapy practice developed by Art Refuge to address the psychological needs of asylum seekers in France and the UK. Emerging between 2017 and 2018, TCT offers a creative, community-based response to displacement and crisis contexts. As an art therapist working with Art Refuge, I aimed to develop a theoretical framework and practical insights for this adapted art therapy model.

Using a phenomenological approach and reflexive thematic analysis, I explored perspectives from asylum seekers, humanitarian workers, volunteers, and facilitators to understand the meanings, perceived impact, and mechanisms of change within TCT. Findings reveal that TCT encourages wellbeing, identity, and hope, generating positive memories of home culture and creating moments of creativity, joy, and visibility for marginalized individuals. Importantly, TCT promotes democratic art therapy practice, involving diverse participants and building social connection. Unexpectedly, my research also highlights benefits for volunteers and humanitarian workers, including improved mental health and work satisfaction.

Key mechanisms driving these outcomes include the stance and attitude of art therapists, culturally sensitive and imaginative art materials, and the inclusion of artists with lived experience of displacement. The study advances theory by emphasizing the significance of loss of home, the role of time and space in displacement, and the importance of reflexivity and adaptability in crisis contexts. It underscores the need for robust skills among facilitators and thoughtful curation of art materials to democratize spaces and support emotional coping.

This research offers valuable insights for Art Refuge and similar organizations, showing how creative, inclusive practices can transform humanitarian support. By articulating the mechanisms and theoretical foundations of TCT, I provide a blueprint for scaling and adapting art therapy interventions to meet the complex needs of displaced populations while fostering resilience and community.