A community project, based out of Alamance County, North Carolina, using art as a medium to spread awareness and provide insight into the uniqueness of families with young children experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. The scope of the project brings four families and sixteen artists together to create unique interpretations of family dynamics and challenges using visual art as a mediu
m. Each artist will then create works depicting their own interpretation of the children and their families which will reflect the way in which they perceive the world. The entire project will be filmed for a documentary illustraiting the shift in beliefs and sterotypes the artists working on the project hold about young people's mental health from the begining of the project to the end. The documentary will then be submitted to multiple film feastivals and screenings to further spread an awareness of this unspoken epidemic. Families collaborating for the project will already have an established working relationship with Alamance Alliance for Children and Families and be connected to four artists that have a special interest in mental health, have a desire to work with families and young children and be willing to dedicate themselves over a long period of time. GOAL:
The goal is to provide a venue in which the community can start a conversation about mental health and diversity, effectively reducing stigmatizing judgments that often exist regarding families such as the subjects of this project while developing confidence in those whom are impacted by behavioral and emotional wellness, thereby increasing sustainability for advocacy and outreach for such issues. This project is made possible with the support of NC Families United ADM Community Mental Health Services Block Grant under the Center for Mental Health Services/SAMHSA and the Alamance Alliance SOC SAMHSA grant. This project is being modeled after “The Observer and The Observed,” which was completed in July 2010 by Sarasota Partnership for Children’s Mental Heath in partnership with ArtCenter Sarasota under the direction of Anne Ferrier, PhD. FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Courtney Cormier, Project Coordinator
courtney.e.cormier@gmail.com
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