Creative Arts in Community Development and Emergency Relief
Priorities for Service Arts in Service to Communities
Rebekah Wilcox Coordinator of International Programs 205 West Tulpehocken Street, Suite 2 Philadelphia, PA 19144 (717)514-5200 international@buildabridge.org
in the
Tough Places of the World 2009
You spent time with us, you knew our name, you ate our food, we made art together,
We have hope.
Contents
Message from the President: Why the Arts? Strategy Programs Artists on Call Funding Priorities Sponsors Countries of Service Graphic design done probono by Rebekah Leeper Inside front cover courtesy of Charlene Melhorn. All other photos courtesy of Dr. J. Nathan Corbitt
Kenya 2000 & 2008
Message from the President “This week I learned not to kill people.” That was the sentence Carlos (not his real name) gave to our BuildaBridge staff at the conclusion of Diaspora of Hope 2008. This eight-year old lives in a Guatemala slum where poverty and gang violence threaten his life, and those around him. He, and many like him, learn early that violence is the norm. Globally, half of all children live in poverty. The daily life of these children is one of survival—survival from sexual abuse, violence, starvation, illness, and hard labor. The result is trauma, and worse, death. Why should you and I care? Those who do not have hope and promise for their future, who do not deal with the trauma in their lives, repeat the cycle of violence. BuildaBridge is committed to bringing hope and healing through artistic intervention, education, and community development in the tough places, like the community of Carlos. We engage and train artists to place their skills in service to the most vulnerable children in our world. We are often asked, Why the Arts? Can the arts really make a difference? We say YES, but maybe not in the ways you might imagine. When people are engaged in art-making, their psychological guards are lowered and healing can begin. Since 1997, we have taken this lesson into Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States, working with thousands of children, hundreds of artists and scores of local organizations.
South Africa ‘00, ‘07, & ‘09
Africa
How do the arts make a difference in the lives of children? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggest that survival needs are the basic needs of life for all people. We propose that “aesthetic nourishment” is one of those survival needs. Arts-based intervention provides a sense of normalcy, emotional healing, aesthetic and spiritual nourishment—hope and healing. Like Carlos, children engaged in art-making find hope. Hope is the ability to see possibilities for one’s future and to envision a path for getting there with realism. Healing occurs when “A hole in the soul—the black hole of trauma” is filled with purpose, efficacy, compassion, forgiveness, and a concern for others. BuildaBridge’s programs seek these outcomes with children and youth. BuildaBridge cannot and does not try to accomplish our goals alone. We are committed to long-term collaborations with local community and educational organizations in these very tough places. We assist in sustainability and capacity building of local work. We provide training and consultation for local development that can include economic, educational and organizational development. We strive for quality in our programs in very difficult environments.
Location
Years
Direct Participants
South Africa
2000,2007, 2009
30
61
Rwanda
1997, 1999
100
24
Kenya
2000, 2008, 2009
2000
64
• • • •
Participating Artists
Partners Umbeco Trust, Baptists of South Africa International Ministries, Eastern University Inspiration Center, Angels of Harmony
American gospel singers celebrate the new South Africa through concerts as black and white Christians reconcile following the end of apartheid For the first time, traumatized youth in Rwanda externalize the horrors of genocide and make a step toward healing through drawing Children in a slum community of Nairobi sing, paint, act, and dance aspects of hope during an arts camp in their community that involved a collaboration of international and local artists and youth workers Former prostitutes with HIV/Aids express hope for their future through painting a mural in their group home
The work is only possible with exceptionally gifted artists who possess passion, calling and skills to work in these tough places, by giving their time voluntarily and raising their own support. But sending an artist into challenging places cannot and should not take place without the proper preparation in emergency relief, first aid, and cross-cultural skills. Working with vulnerable children through the arts also requires building mentoring relationships, remaining flexible, dealing with the chaos of poverty, and skill in handling the trauma and lack of impulse control from which children suffer. We engage artists and train them, through our BuildaBridge Institute, to promote dialogue, understanding, hope, healing, reconciliation, and community development with our partners and the children they serve throughout the world. Why should you care? When children suffer, we all suffer. They are, in a truthful cliche, our future. Please join us in bringing hope and healing to our world. J. Nathan Corbitt, President
The Problems We Address
Poverty (living on less than $2 per day) Lack of Education and Social Capital (access to education and upward social mobility) Conflict and Violence (local and regional ethnic and political conflicts) Deterioration and disregard for the environment Migration and the global slave trade (child labor, child sex industry)
Mission
BuildaBridge is a non-profit 501(c)3 arts education and intervention organization that engages the transformative power of the arts to bring hope and healing to children, families, and communities in the tough places of the world. BuildaBridge motivates, enlists, trains, and connects those with artistic gifts with those in greatest need. BuildaBridge International travels the world to restore hope and healing to communities affected by cultural and religious conflict, environmental catastrophe, poverty, illness, and social injustice. Through our specialized team service projects and arts intervention programs, BuildaBridge International promotes dialogue, understanding, healing, reconciliation, and community development with partners throughout the world. Finally, through our programs, and with our international partners, BuildaBridge works to support the United Nations in achieving Millenium Development goals of: • Universal Education • Gender Equality • Child Health • Maternal Health • Global Partnership • End Poverty & Hunger • Combat HIV/AIDS • Environmental Sustainability
Vision
By 2012, BuildaBridge International will provide quality arts-based programs of training and direct service in 25 countries with a virtual network of 1000 artists and organizations serving vulnerable children and youth. A unique focus will be on arts-based intervention and community building within geographical areas of crisis. Our goal is to serve 50,000 children globally and to work on a regular basis with 2500 children through BuildaBridge sponsored programs and partnerships.
Malaysia 2006-2009
Strategy
Asia
Identify and enlist regional representatives in collaboration with a local partner organization on each of five continents in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and The Middle East. Engage and train 1000 artists for intervention, educational and relief work for global service. Priority Values 1. Sustainability and Capacity Building 2. Love, Peace, and Hope through Justice, Reconciliation and Service to Others 3. Partnership and Collaboration 4. Personal Transformation through Hope and Healing 5. Community Development
Location
Constituencies 1. Children, youth and families among the most vulnerable communities 2. Parents and Teachers seeking to meet the needs of children, youth and their families 3. Artists with a call to serve the poor. 4. Community organizations seeking to serve their neighborhoods and communities and the broader context.
• •
Years
Direct Participants
Participating Artists
Malaysia
2006 - 2009
75
3
China
2007, 2009
2
1
Partners Holistic Children’s Initiative, Sabah Theological Seminary, Penang Baptist Theological Seminary Amity Foundation
Chinese partners live at the BuildaBridge House in Philadelphia and learn English, American culture and arts-integration Pan-Asian artists learn theory and practical skills for engaging the arts with youth and community development through a series of trainings
Program goals 1. Serve as a catalyst for arts-based community training and education in countries where we serve 2. Establish network centers for meeting the needs of children, youth and communities in countries where we serve 3. Assist local organizations to find and develop resources to support their direct service work 4. Provide training and service opportunities to local and global artists Outcomes Holistic child development that results in: 1. Increased literacy 2. Access to education 3. Improved living standards 4. Spiritual wellness 5. Healing from emotional trauma 6. Peace through cross-cultural understanding and religious tolerance. 7. Safe places for children and women 8. Creative approaches to problem solving
Egypt 2000Present
Our teaching goals for all children and youth: 1. Gain artistic skills 2. Improve academic standing 3. Increase social skills 4. Develop inner character and leadership skills
Programs
This mission is fulfilled through four basic programs and a signature event. Arts Relief is the advanced arts-based emergency relief program of BuildaBridge International. It is comprised of arts therapy professionals, artists, and community service workers trained in emergency relief and artistic intervention. Artists are being prepared to respond to crises within 48 hours. Goodwill Tours is our cultural diplomacy program. These tours provide overseas concert tour opportunities for US-based performing groups and international exchanges. Cross-Cultural Discovery provides opportunities for global education for high school and university students. Traveling on a Cross-Cultural Discovery Tour means developing global competency through increased awareness and knowledge, and cross-cultural skill building. Students interact with other cultures, learn new traditions, and discover how diversity enriches life. All BuildaBridge International programs contain a service component.
Middle East Location
• • •
Years
Egypt
2000-Present
Lebanon Palestine
2002 2008
Direct Participants
Participating Artists
Partners
500
100
CEOSS, Hands Along the Nile, Arts for Community
24
1 2
American youth learn about Islam and the political complexities of the Middle East Young people build bridges of peace through music in a goodwill tour of Egypt A US congregation expands its vision of mission by learning about poverty and community development in a global urban city
BuildaBridge Institute is a research and training institute designed to prepare artists and community based personnel to integrate the arts effectively in education and community development. Diaspora of Hope (DOH) is global one-week Arts for Hope camp in multiple locations. Artists from around the world disperse and gather in different partner locations to teach about hope, through art-making, to the most vulnerable children in the toughest places of our world . International artists join local artists to participate in collaborative training in a common curriculum. They then jointly lead arts camps with up to 100 children ages 8-14 in each location. Diaspora of Hope is an annual project of BuildaBridge International and corresponds with the American Thanksgiving holiday and most international school vacations.
Artists on Call
Artists on Call (AOC) is the advanced volunteer registry of BuildaBridge International. AOC is comprised of arts therapy professionals, creative artists, educators, and community service workers trained in emergency relief through artistic intervention. Requirements for the participating artists (training provided): 1. Strong motivation 2. Ability to deal with difficult environments 3. Creativity in working with a scarcity of artistic tools 4. Training in therapeutic art modalities and crisis management 5. Cross-cultural competence
Funding Priorities • • • • • • • • • • • •
Stipends for 10 arts relief therapists and specialists who work in areas of extreme crisis @ $1000 Local Institutes for capacity building and sustainability through arts-based community development @ $10,000 (50 participants) Funds or airline miles to support an 50 artists’ travel to one are of crisis @ $1800 Artists on Call Gear for 100 artists (backpack, vest, rain gear, and mosquito net) @ $250 Meal — for 100 children and artists in a Diaspora of Hope arts camp @ $500 per camp Indigenous art supplies for Diaspora of Hope camp @ $500 per camp Stipends for Diaspora of Hope Project management/camp leader @ $500 Leadership training for international partners. ~ Egypt: Graduate training for North African and Middle East Coordinator $30,000 ~ USA Institute Training: $2500 per international person (includes airfare, registration and housing) Sculpting Redemption Project: Four week sculpting project in Guatemala prisons for gang members with national exhibition $10,000 Cultural Education library for training and reference $1000 Immunizations and travel medications for Artist on Call members @ $250 Technology and auto responder system upgrade of Artist on Call virtual networking and training website (www.buildabridge.net) $10,000
Haiti 2008
Guatemala 2005-2009
Costa Rica 1997, 1999, 2008
Benefits to Corporations
Logos to appear on all gear/promo material, website and press releases Tickets to annual BuildaBridge signature event Framed professional painting or photograph of hope from BuildaBridge IDignity signature exhibition Opportunities for local and international community service and involvement
Latin America & the Caribbean
Sponsors
Allen Hilles Fund First Fruits Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition Houston Foundation L.W. Pierce Family Foundation Seybert Institution George W. Rentschler Foundation The Douty Foundation The Philadelphia Cultural Fund United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania Wayne Presbyterian Church Sharone Gavin Fund Klorfine Foundation Mellon Charitable Trusts Citizens Bank PA Council on the Arts and Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Enon Community Reinvestment Fund Bank of America Local Union Benevolent Association George W. Rentschler Foundation Volpe and Koenig Giving Fund Philadelphia Cultural Fund US Airways Corporate Contributions Program Second Baptist Church Lincoln Financial Foundation Private Donors
Location
Years
Direct Participants
Participating Artists
Guatemala
2005-2009
350
30
Nicaragua Brazil Haiti
2008, 2009 2001 2008
40 175 75
1 18 10
Mexico
2004
125
13
Harvest Hands and Group Publishing, Inc.
Costa Rica
1997, 1999, 2008
250
24
Limon Theological Institute
Turks & Caicos
2008
75
2
Turks & Caicos National Historic Museum
• • • •
Partners Center for Transforming Mission, La Escualita Nehemia Center Hope International
Gang members in a Guatemala prison experience joy and relief of boredom through a portrait painting class Former child prostitutes in Costa Rica deal with the pain of their past by telling their stories through drama Young people in a gang-ridden slum experience hope and a vision for their future A community devastated by hurricanes rebuilds and restores its landscape with murals of hope
Basic Organizational Information
Registered as a 501(c)3 Non-Profit in Pennsylvania EIN#: 23-3048553 Address: 205 West Tulpehocken Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144 Board Members: Cheryl Wade (Chair), Ron Hevey, Diane Robertson, Henry Holcombe, David Knipel, Carla RomarateKnipel, William Davis, Alexis Brunner, Mark Halsey, Gary Nicholas Staff: Full-Time: 5 Part-Time: 10 Active Volunteers: 40 Annual Budget: $347,000 Audit: Yes, Annually
Netherlands ‘00, ‘04, ‘06, ‘08
Rebekah Wilcox Coordinator of International Programs 205 West Tulpehocken Street, Suite 2 Philadelphia, PA 19144 (717)514-5200 international@buildabridge.org www.buildabridge.org
Slovakia 2006 & 2008
Europe Location Germany Netherlands Italy Slovakia Czech Republic Norway Republic of Georgia Scotland • • • •
Years 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 2008 2006, 2008 2006, 2008, 2009 2008 2001, 2003, 2007 2008
Direct Participants
Participating Artists
Partners
300
50
Atlantic Bridge
150
51
Atlantic Bridge, European Union
125 50
24 14
University of Slovakia
100
30
Atlantic Bridge
15
2
Thin Places, Lutheran Church of Norway
1000
30
Beteli Foundation
70
2
University of Strathclyde
Palestinian Muslim youth and European Christian youth learn that religious differences do not have to be barriers for peace and relationships European youth learn the history of African-American culture through song and build relationships that cross racial divides Urban teens from Philadelphia improve their global competence by successfully traveling outside their urban communities Norwegian artists explore the role of the arts in community development at home and abroad
Websites and blogs Videos: http://www.youtube.com/transformingarts Online Training: http://www.wormholeproject.com/moodle/ Diaspora of Hope: http://diasporaofhope.blogspot.com/ Arts for Peace: http://arts4peace.blogspot.com/
Philadelphia 2000Present
United States Location
Years
Direct Participants
Participating Artists
Partners
School District of Philadelphia After-School Philadelphia Safe and 2000-Present 25 12 Programming Sound Creative Arts Therapy 2005-Present 40 10 United Way, Red Cross Life Skills Training American Express 2007-Present 50 20 (MNN) Bank of America Drexel University Artology 2007-Present 70 25 Bridging the Gaps Greater Philadelphia Arts4Peace Camps 2007-Present 60 25 Urban Affairs Coalition The Confederated Salish Montana 2009 & Kootenai Tribes • Children learn to appreciate the value of other cultures through an indoor mural project in one Philadelphia shelter that taught about Persian art • Young court-mandated single mothers manage their anxiety and anger by creating masks in an art and spirituality class • Forty homeless women learn financial planning skills through a soap opera and game show along with financial planning with a local banker • Young artists learn the social skills of behavior in a formal setting by attending live concerts in a professional theater • Young homeless mothers learn to plan and cook inexpensive healthy snack foods for their kids in a culinary arts class Homeless Shelters
2004-Present
1250
200