Roots to Routes Full of Hope

Whenever a new refugee joins a therapeutic art-making group as part of the Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience, he or she wonders:  How can art help me?  Will others be able to empathize with me about my experiences?  How do I share my ROOTS, culture and story with others who speak a different language?  How can this art group help others like me?

Their questions are answered after attending groups regularly.


The boundaries and structure of the groups created a safe environment for clients.  Clients came to rely on and participate in more fully the rituals and opening and closing activities that were conducted as part of each group.  The art-making processes allowed clients to channel emotions through their art.  The sharing of artwork prompted discussions about their feelings, experiences, hopes and dreams.
 

Roots to Routes [image courtesy of Kelly Finlaw]

By the end of the last group of a 10-week term, clients are interacting with each other openly, acting as guides for one another where language barriers were a challenge; they discuss their experiences of being victims of torture and having to uproot to a new, strange place with more ease.  The client that was once new, now feels like they belong to a community; they now know that these BuildaBridge art groups have a specific purpose  - to act as a catalyst towards building ROUTES full of hope, healing and resiliency.

You can make a difference.  You can help refugees and immigrants with whom BuildaBridge works appreciate and share their ROOTS towards building ROUTES full of  their dreams, hopes, developing trusting relationships with others and building community. 

Donate to Roots to Routes today to make a difference.

[Roots to Routes, the annual fundraiser for BuildaBridge's Refugee Project, starts today, April 1st and ends April 30th, 2015.]

Creative Arts Therapy as a means to Rebuild

“When there is peace, you can see it on the faces and in the eyes of children." A.K., a middle-aged man from Iraq, shared this quote about his drawing of children playing around trees.  A.K. noted during his sharing time that the music playing in the background, eased his nerves as he drew.  Read about A.K. here.

Oliver, a man in his young thirties, drew stick figures at an airport about to board a plane to a new land. In describing his image, he discussed his journey of leaving behind his home country and going to new country where he is currently unfamiliar with the language, people and the culture. Overwhelmed by these challenges, he shared with the group that he often thought “maybe I should go back home".  With encouragement from the group and much reflection through his artwork, he felt by the end that the group would be a good place to network and share his story as a survivor of torture.  

As part of BuildaBridge's efforts with the Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience, creative arts therapists and teaching artists provide art therapy and therapeutic art making groups in the community context for survivors of torture.  The stories of A.K. and Oliver signify the positive outcomes art can have in facilitating hope, healing and resiliency.  BuildaBridge uses creative arts therapy and the therapeutic arts because they are some of the most effective strategies for alleviating symptoms of trauma, abuse and stress through its effects on physiological, brain and hormonal activity. 

In honor of Creative Arts Therapy Week (#CATW2015), we share these stories of the transformative power of the arts through our work with survivors of torture, just one of many different vulnerable populations the organization serves through the arts.

Additionally, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) affirms strategies like the ones BuildaBridge uses.  They note the use of Creative Arts Therapy with survivors of torture by describing Lembe's story.  "Lembe, a torture survivor, wrote her name on a colourful cloth. As part of her rehabilitation therapy, Lembe worked passionately on it, designing a fish, a bird and adding the names of other survivors. “Designing on the cloth helped my creativity,” she said “it allowed me to mentally relax, to learn how to express myself and to forget my daily hardships.”  Read Lembe's story and the UNHCR's article here on art therapy.

Does your art send a message?

"This piece reminds me of my village back in the Congo." 
"This painting of nature makes me feel calm."
"That's a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr.!  I know who he is!"

Sunday February 22nd BuildaBridge artists and five clients of the Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience (PPR), a collaborative with Nationalities Services Center and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA).  These trips, termed purposeful interventions, assist clients in learning about and engaging in American culture through arts and culture experiences outside of the classroom. In celebration of Black History Month, the group first viewed the exhibit “Represent:  200 Years of African American Art.”  "From compelling stories to innovative methods, Represent explores the evolving ways in which African American artists have expressed personal, political, and racial identity" (PMA).  Artists engaged clients in one-on-one conversations regarding the artwork, how it made them feel, what they thought the art meant, how it was related to events in their own lives and its significance during Black History Month.  Moving to the next exhibit, “Ink and Gold:  Art of the Kano”, large group discussions took place regarding the influence of China on Japanese art.  The fans in particular, each only 10 inches by 5 inches in size, illustrated a different story.  The intricate detail astounded and impressed us all.  One small group discussed the significance of community based on two pieces of artwork that illustrated Japanese villages.  This group reflected on components of communities in their countries of origin and compared it to their current communities in Philadelphia.  Another small group discussed the different elements of nature as depicted in three different paintings and how each painting made them feel.  In this exhibit, the museum provided drawing pads for attendees to attempt a sketch of the paintings.  One client spent a considerable amount of time sketching one nature scene and shared it with the larger group.  By the third exhibit, “American Art from the 18th Century”, clients were engaging other clients in conversations about the artwork, an accomplished outcome of these trips to create community and trusting relationships between clients.

In each of the exhibits, the artwork communicated messages of the artists, the culture of the artists and historical events.  Though conversations occurred between artists and clients and between clients, the real conversations occurred between the artwork and our group.  Our group listened to the messages of the artwork.  We reflected on them individually and collectively. We applied the messages to our own journeys, current situations and future hopes and dreams.

Similarly, Syrian refugees living in Jordan are trying to do the same thing - communicate with their communities and the world about their experiences.  Just as we listened to the artwork on display in a museum, so should we be listening to the crises in our world today through the messages from current artists and how we can make a difference. 

Metaphor in Art-Making: Making old things new

Art as metaphor is a powerful tool in sharing life lessons.  Woven through the art-making projects, BuildaBridge artists working with refugee populations understand the difficult transition group participants bring to a class session.  Each mistake, and each difficulty, in the art-making process can become an opportunity to teach a skill or encourage positive reflection on life's challenges. The BuildaBridge Souderton Refugee Group of Central and East African refugee populations is no exception.  Weaving is a cultural tradition in Africa.  Though these Souderton participants are not all artisans, there is a potential natural and cultural connection for them.

Gathered around a table the group of 8 women, men and children look intently at a sample quilt made of pieces of fabric--strips of old t-shirts and various kinds of yarn--that had been braided, tied, and sewn together to form a cultural identity tree. This will be their project for the next six weeks.  They will complete a unique quilt that represents them and helps build on a theme of community.

The first step for this project was to weave blossoms that will soon be part of their community tree. It didn't go well for everyone--an opportunity for teaching skills and life lessons.
Natalie, a creative art therapist, and her assistants, Liz and Clarisse, helped to teach the eight participants how to begin weaving their blossoms from yarn.  One of the young girls, Roxanne, was struggling to weave her blossom.  Natalie proceeded to help her correct the pattern, while providing a life metaphor in the conversation. 
"This project is a lot like life." Natalie encouraged Roxanne.
“It’s much harder when you first start something, but when you get used to it, it gets easier.” 

While the participants will continue to weave their quilt and learn skills such as weaving with a loom and quilt making, Natalie is teaching much more through this project.  She will convey another, overarching metaphor--the importance of making something new and beautiful out of old pieces, each one finding restoration and building community support.  She emphasizes the importance of making a contribution towards their group effort that will last the next six weeks, and also the importance of contributing in their new and developing communities. This collaborative piece promotes unity in the group.  Patience will be necessary to learn new art skills as well as to wait for the project to be completed. 

Was it an effective lesson?  Was community developing?  Yes, as it led the group into something that happened spontaneously.

As part of the closing ritual, Liz accompanied a favorite song with her guitar and Amelia joined with her keyboard.  The song "Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, See you next time" was repeated over and over again in a repetitive style common to African singing.  The voices of all of the participants sang in a strong unison.  Then it happened.  Some participants started dancing as they sang and soon the entire group was dancing. We all broke out in song and dance together as a group and it was powerful.  We left the room feeling energized. 

See the photos of the group here.

Creating Trusting Relationships Through Art-Making

When the group of refugees and immigrants started arriving, we greeted them at the threshold with warm smiles.  I was unsure of what to expect my first time in a live session beyond the BuildaBridge training and team meetings we had prior to the beginning of the term.

Sunday February 8th marked the second meeting of the Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience (PPR) group of 2015. Our team consisted of Rebecca Asch, Francesca Montanile and myself.  We had arrived early to set up the room with art supplies.

Being that this is my first internship in a therapeutic arts setting,  I knew that we'd be creating art with participants, but how would that look, I wondered. What aspects of this PPR session would prove most useful in aiding people who had been displaced from their homes and experienced torture?  My questions were soon answered.

It was the second time this group had met.  It had grown, I was told.  Moore, a regular member of the group from the Middle East, dawned a large smile at the room full of people, ready to create, share and participate. His eagerness was matched by David, a West African man, who entered the room brimming with excitement--shaking my hand enthusiastically.  David and I had met at the first session. Both Moore and David then greeted each other which demonstrated an outcome for this group to create trusting relationships in a safe and supportive environment.

During the session Dee, a young newcomer from Haiti, reported that he could not draw a scene that represents his past, present and future. Rebecca, a teaching artist, then drew a stick figure on a piece of paper, shows it to him, and with encouragement says, "This is okay!"

David, the drummer, then engaged Dee to comfort his worries about his art-making skills.
Watching this, I couldn't help but think about the role of art-making in creating a sense of community.  PPR sessions bring together people in their time of need to provide art-making experiences which are then shared and discussed and provide reasons to bond and create new friendships with others who understand similar struggles and successes.  Moore was excited to see many other people in the group because this is what the group is about - connecting people who can be supportive of one another through art-making and dialogue.

- Emily Kimmelman, BuildaBridge Intern and Artist-on-Call

What's in a name?

S. wakes up every Sunday saying that it's the day for her art class. She looks forward to attending because her teacher knows her name and calls on her by name to lead dance movements.  S. had perfect attendance during the Fall of 2014 because BuildaBridge's art class made her feel important and valued.  

Julia Crawford, lead therapeutic movement instructor, greeting a child at the threshold

S. is one of 51.2 million displaced persons in the world today.  According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, this is the highest number since World World II and equivalent to the 26th largest nation on earth.

To S., the fact that her teacher knows her name is a huge reason why she attends BuildaBridge's art class.  Artists, teachers and creative arts therapists are trained in BuildaBridge's Classroom Model, a trauma-informed, hope-infused, child/client-centered approach that facilitates hope, healing and resiliency among populations experiencing crisis and poverty.  A large component of the trauma-informed method is affirmation of the individual, the culture from where they came and recognition of their abilities towards a hopeful future.  Artists learn each child's name as part of this affirmation process and call the child by name when welcoming them across the threshold, throughout the course of the class and when the child is leaving.   Learning one's name is the first step towards affirmation of the individual, becoming aware of their situation and taking action to make a difference.

BuildaBridge has taken that first step and gone beyond in providing programming as part of its Refugee Project serving 300 refugees, immigrants and survivors of torture  since 2011.

Imagine if we learned the names of all 51.2 million displaced persons in the world - we would be one step closer towards a brighter future for everyone.

To learn more about the conflicts that have caused displacement and how many have been displaced, check out the United Nations' The Refugee Project - an interactive map of refugee migrations around the world in each year since 1975. United Nations data is complemented by original histories of the major refugee crises of the last four decades, situated in their individual contexts.

National Slavery & Human Trafficking Month

When Matthew, a political and tortured refugee, entered the United States nearly a year ago, he rarely shared his story in front of others.  In painful solitude, and with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Matthew yearned to reclaim his identity, confidence, and voice.  

His story is common among political refugees.  Coming from a country rife with civil war and political turmoil, he had hoped that joining the armed forces would give him a better chance to survive.  As with many in times of war, just a few months into his service, he was taken captive by opposing forces and tortured.  At the close of the war, negotiations were made for his release and he was given a chance to come to the U.S.  

In the U.S., Matthew joined a BuildaBridge therapeutic art-making class.  He began to heal. Reflecting on his journey through the art-making experiences where he could draw his inner thoughts, Matthew found a voice to share his story and even improve his English.  "These classes are important to me because they help me share my journey, feelings and process them with others in a safe environment.

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month. For those who are trafficked and subsequently forced into slavery, torture is often an added component in their already traumatic experience.

The Department of State, as noted in the most recent news from The Center for Victims of Torture states "The U.S. State Department compares human trafficking to modern day slavery, and in this fact sheet, describes how trafficking differs from human smuggling, which involves the transportation of a person across an international border.  A person being smuggled most often gives her consent, whereas a person who is trafficked is being criminally exploited. According to the Polaris Project, labor trafficking and sex trafficking occur when people are forced to work or engage in commercial sex against their will and are controlled through violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and coercion. Victims of trafficking are often tortured, as is highlighted in this Human Rights Watch report on this situation in the Sinai Peninsula, and conversely, survivors of torture are often trafficked when they attempt to flee their abusive governments".

As a partner of the Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience (PPR), BuildaBridge provides community mental health services through art-making experiences to survivors of torture from over ten countries.  Artists (learn more about the artists here) leading the art-making experiences in group settings are trained in BuildaBridge's trauma-informed, hope-infused and client-centered model.  Artists are also trained in cross cultural communication, immigrant and survivor of torture specific mental health service provision and practice extreme sensitivity.  BuildaBridge has served over fifty survivors of torture through PPR and will be re-starting groups at the end of this month. 

It is during this National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention month that we seek to raise awareness of the issues and share our work through stories like Matthew's in providing hope and healing for those who have experienced such traumatic experiences.  

Artists involved with PPR and other classes of BuildaBridge's Refugee Project. From L to R: Jessica LaBarca, Christine Byma, Robert Kelleher, Julia Crawford and Rebecca Asch.