ART AS SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE

By

Rebecca Hotz

A Project Presented to

The Faculty of Humboldt State University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Social Work

Committee Membership

Cesar Abarca Ph.D., Chair

Hunter Fine Ph.D., Committee Member

Lonyx Landry, Committee Member

Marissa O’Neil Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator

July 2015

Abstract

ART AS SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE

Rebecca Hotz

The focus of this project is the coordination and implementation of an event that exemplifies how the arts can be a sustainable form of social work practice that is not only effective for individuals but also holds great potential for entire communities.

Interventions in social work that incorporate the arts can be applied in therapeutic settings as well as to promote awareness and social action. Utilizing the arts provides tools that sustain individuals and communities. To explore the potential applications for the arts in the field of social work I have reviewed literature relating to the beneficial properties of the expressive arts in a variety of arenas under the purview of social work.

In particular I will address the application of the arts in clinical therapy, specific examples of the instrumental role expressive arts have played in liberating oppressed communities, and the community building that is involved in establishing these avenues for creative expression. To implement my project I collaborated with local performers that promote expressive arts therapy to hold a concert presenting their work on April

23rd, 2015. The event was successful in its attempt to build community and demonstrate expressive arts therapy.

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Table of Contents

Abstract ...... ii

Introduction ...... 1

Background ...... 2

Purpose Statement ...... 2

Project Aims...... 4

Limitations ...... 4

Definitions of Terms ...... 5

Approaches ...... 5

Anticipated Outcomes ...... 6

Project Assumptions ...... 7

Rational or Significance ...... 7

Literature Review...... 9

Street Theatre ...... 11

Music for Romani Survival ...... 12

Estonia: Tradition and Cultural Identity Overcoming Violence ...... 16

Performance Interacting with Community...... 18

Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy for Individuals ...... 19

Materials and Methods ...... 23

Participants ...... 23

Sustainability Plan ...... 24

Results ...... 26

Ethical Considerations ...... 27 iv

Limitations ...... 28

Implications for Social Work Practice ...... 28

Conclusion ...... 30

References ...... 31

Appendix A: Event Flyer ...... 34

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Art as Sustainable Practice 1

Introduction

My project is to promote healing practices rooted in the expressive arts for individuals as well as communities and cultures. The project consisted of coordinating a performance-based community event that implemented how expressive arts can enrich a diverse population and provide avenues for visibility, support, and healing. My work culminated in a concert that took place on April 23rd, 2015, featuring artists whose work demonstrates expressive arts therapy.

The activities related to the implementation of this project varied from studying the application of the arts in social work, direct grassroots organizing, collaborating with local performers, negotiating with venues, and promoting the event. In order to organize support for my project I performed poetry readings for various events. I had a small team that advertised the event and mobilized interested parties to attend. A number of performers and I developed the event over the course of eight months, during which time the line-up frequently changed. The project went through many evolutions as different artists became involved with the project and gave their contributions before the final aesthetic was reached. The end result was a concert of performers local to

Humboldt County featuring an introduction to the healing properties of the didgeridoo, three hip hop artists, and a reggae band. The project served its purpose and was both engaging and entertaining.

Art as Sustainable Practice 2

Background

In order to explore and promote the arts as a form of healing I have dedicated my project to support diverse artists that were brought together to serve their communities.

Many of the acts participating in the event are local Native American performers that have a vested interest in the success of Indigenous youth in the arts. One group of artists involved in the project is Into The Current, a reggae band fronted by Conor Handley.

Handley is also a member of the Unified Students of Humboldt, a group of students at

Humboldt State University that advocate for the rights of students of color. The band clearly states their political stance in their lyrics, “Respect existence or expect resistance.” Performers involved in the project, such as Into The Current and others, strive to communicate their message of social responsibility and call to action to mobilize their community.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the project was to promote the arts as sustainable practice for social workers, as well as demonstrating avenues for healing and social change that utilize expressive arts therapy. The event not only presented the work of the artists involved but also supported their work by providing them with opportunities for exposure and to sell their merchandise. Supporting local artists will foster more opportunities for artistic programming locally in the future.

Art as Sustainable Practice 3

Performance as therapy is important because it is a powerful way to expedite and enhance healing. When community members, healing methods, and performance arts intersect there are benefits for individuals that need the support of a community in their personal therapeutic process. There are also benefits for communities to express their grief or sense of loss when they have experienced shared tragedies such as economic hardship, oppression, genocide, natural disasters, public outrage, and hate crimes.

Performance can be useful as a coping skill during these intense periods. When a large group shares the same sentiments or frustrations that the performer is expressing, the effect is similar to that of talk therapy because the subject matter resonates with the audience as a whole. Performing with and/or for a group creates an exchange of energy between the participants in such a way that the process is reciprocal for both performer and audience. This reciprocal exchange creates a high level of engagement that produces meaningful healing similar to ceremony.

It is vital to ensure that these opportunities are preserved. We as a society can fund more projects like this one by supporting any number of non-profits that organize artists that bring the arts to young people. One place among many in Eureka, California that make the arts accessible to young people is the MARZ Project. The MARZ Project provides equipment and guidance for their participants to explore a variety of art forms complete with their own recording studio. By supporting these organizations with monetary contributions or in-kind donations of materials ensures that young people have these expressive outlets available for generations to come.

Art as Sustainable Practice 4

Project Aims

My project aims to utilize grassroots organizing in order to coordinate an

expressive arts therapy event. To engage with the local performance community I

developed relationships with individual performers to establish myself as a collaborator.

The performers were interested in showcasing expressive arts therapy in an engaging

way because it exposes people to avenues of healing that are essential in the recovery

process for many individuals. Specifically these artists reach out to the public in

Humboldt County because their works are legitimate avenues to advocate for their

community’s rights and to progress social movements locally. The performances

demonstrated by these artists are informative and appeal to a wide audience in their goal

to engage their community.

Limitations

My project is limited because it will only reach those attending the event. The

event took place in Eureka which made it difficult for interested parties from Humboldt

State University in Arcata to access the performance. Only people with transportation to

the venue in Eureka were able to attend. I was also incredibly limited in my ability to

offer compensation to artists and venues. I relied heavily on my relational work with the

performance community to coordinate the event without spending any money. Artists

performed in exchange for the opportunity to make merchandise revenue, and the venue

was provided without compensation on the condition that they would make revenue on

Art as Sustainable Practice 5

refreshment sales. The pivotal factor to secure the success of that arrangement was

sufficient promotion of the event to ensure attendance.

Definitions of Terms

“Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT)” is specifically the act of drawing upon the

expressive arts as a conduit for emotional release and recovery. This includes all music,

theatre, and other forms of performance. The emotional release that individuals

experience through these therapies is a powerful tool for healing individuals and

communities. To further engage the community I have been practicing “grassroots

organizing”. Grassroots organizing is accomplished when a dedicated group of people

mobilizes around a cause without relying on pre-existing funding streams and

interference from more formalized organizations.

Approaches

I used a relational approach to execute this project. Specifically I engaged with

local performers directly to collaborate on the event. First I contacted performers and

community members in person and explained the intention of my project. Frequently

this took place after the artists had performed in their own shows. I performed and

networked locally in Humboldt County to support my event and scout out artists.

Performing with several of the artists and volunteering at some of their shows enabled

Art as Sustainable Practice 6

me to offer a work-trade for their participation and immerse myself in the tasks that are

involved in event planning.

By launching an event that does not have ties to more lucrative funding streams

and expenses, the people involved had maximum control over developing a space for the

arts in their community. Empowering local artists to establish this event with me gave

others the tools to experience acceptance and express social resistance through their

performances. Many of the artists identify as belonging to communities that are too

often excluded from the dominant narratives of art history. During this concert

marginalized communities had the opportunity to use their voice and combat invisibility.

People experiencing the consequences of systemic oppression can and will carve out a

safe place to claim for their own enjoyment. The space was entirely receptive to the

shifting needs of the audience and performers alike.

Anticipated Outcomes

At the most basic function of the event, members of the community were

exposed to each other’s work. Most importantly, through sharing our work and our art

with each other we also learn more about members of our community. The music

vibrates at a frequency that resonates inside of the bodies of the audience, and at the very

least all participants are united at that frequency. By connecting these creative works to

people they will witness the transformative potential for their own healing practices.

The goal is to bring artists and audiences to create a more intimate concert experience

Art as Sustainable Practice 7 that can also be practically applied as healing in their personal lives. I am hoping that after this event others in the community come forward to share their artwork and healing with each other. This exchange may inspire others to call upon their own creativity for a transformative and healing experience.

Project Assumptions

For the project I depended heavily on the assumption that the local community finds value in the expressive arts and its application to recovery and social change. I am seeking to create a specific experience for the audience that is useful. I am assuming that the performers and the audience consider the pieces to adequately serve their communities in a holistic way that promotes healing. I am also dependent on the assumption that there will be enough audience members in attendance that are willing to purchase refreshments from the venue so they are able to make a profit, as per our agreement. Finally, I am assuming that the arts will unify diverse artists for a common aesthetic and message. I am trusting my performers to showcase appropriate work that will resonate with the audience and convey our collective intentions.

Rational or Significance

My rational for my project is simply that art is sustainable practice for social workers to research and implement. If best practices are the nuts and bolts of the engine, then art and music are the oil. The service to a person’s spirit has made

Art as Sustainable Practice 8 substantial difference with clients in a variety of social work settings. I insist that engaging in artistic therapies reaches a depth with a client that exponentially increases the social workers’ capacity to initiate healthy and sustainable change.

Art as Sustainable Practice 9

Literature Review

Art can be utilized as sustainable practice for healing as well as provide a catalyst for social action. Beyond the value of art in an individual’s healing process, the arts have long been applied to social movements. Social workers could implement artistic practices as interventions for not only individual clients, but also for communities. Many communities have benefited from their endeavors in the arts to spread awareness and secure advocacy. Specific examples include graffiti, spoken word, and music, particularly hip hop.

Theatre in particular can be a powerful medium for social interaction. Most, if not all, cultures have some form of theatre that is intended to captivate an audience and provoke emotion. Boal (1979) accredits this relationship to one relinquishing their power of decision to the image (p. 93). This means that by empathizing with the character the audience is vicariously subject to the consequences of the character’s journey, which can then intensely influence or resonate with those individuals’ real lives. Through viewing performance one can witness other cultures real or imagined, reflect on societal values, or vicariously enjoy the catharsis following the journey of the characters. Theatre has been influential throughout history and remains relevant today.

A crucial function of theatre is harnessing the power of spectacle and culture to communicate need and influence social structure. Community engagement is vital in street theatre in order to have a significant impact. To study this engagement we will look at examples in Estonia, the Romani community, New York City subway music, and

Art as Sustainable Practice 10 various improvisational and street theatre groups across the globe. Later we will explore the individual healing properties of the expressive arts and their benefits.

The study of Theatre in other cultures is known as Theatre Anthropology. Barba and Savarese (2006) clarify, “Theatre anthropology is thus the study of human beings’ socio-cultural and physiological behavior in a performance situation” (p. 6). A principle of most forms of theatre is the dividing wall that separates actor from spectator and the protagonists from the mass. For our purposes I will look at theatre that attempts to omit this wall and allow the spectator to start acting again (Boal, 1979, p. 95). Boal comments on this phenomenon, stating,

I believe that all the truly revolutionary theatrical groups should transfer to the people the means of production in the theatre so that the people themselves may utilize them. The theatre is a weapon, and it is the people who should wield it…. We tried to show in practice how the theatre can be placed at the service of the oppressed, so that they can express themselves and so that, by using this new language, they can also discover new concepts (p. 97-98).

Boal has done extensive work in South America with his group Theatre of the

Oppressed attempting to organize performances and take them to the streets. Efforts to penetrate the social structure through theatre and involve the audience in examining society is ongoing. Schinina (2004) says in her article,

This search would give back to the theatre its fundamental role and heritage of political intervention, peaceful redefinition of the rules of the society, cultural discussion, and social therapy. The starting points of this new transition were the experiences of Julian Beck and Judith Malina, and then, also in the USA, Richard Schechner’s Performance Group, Luis Valdez’s Teatro Campesino, Peter Schumann’s Bread and Puppet Theatre; Augusto Boal and Vianna Filho in , and many more groups in South America; and Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, and Eugenio Barba in Europe (p. 19).

Art as Sustainable Practice 11

Boal believes that while the theatre in itself may not be revolutionary, these theatrical forms are without a doubt a rehearsal of revolution (Boal, 1979, p. 119).

Street Theatre

Tanenbaum (1995) studied music in the New York City subway and surmised that involvement across economic classes is paramount to revolution in order to facilitate change, however art and theatre are often inaccessible to lower-class people

(Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 110). In order for communication through performance to be relevant theatre must be accessible to shared public culture and be visible to all that co- exist in one space. Tanenbaum writes,

New York City subway music, [is] an urban ritual that challenges the way we think about public space by promoting spontaneous, democratic, intimate encounters in one of the city’s most routinized and alienating environment (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 2).

Theatre on public streets is often unwelcome. In New York City, street performance is frequently met with police harassment, starting with a brief ban on street music during the 1930s which essentially equated musicians with beggars (Tannenbaum,

1995, p. 24). In 1955 zoning restrictions limited performances in non-cabaret districts to a maximum of 3 musicians, with hefty emphasis on banning horned jazz instruments as

‘undesirable’ (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 23). Folk-singers even “rioted” in 1961 in response to a ban on spontaneous cultural gatherings in Washington Square Park (Tanenbaum,

1995, p. 18).

Tanenbaum (1995) states,

Art as Sustainable Practice 12

The historical record reveals that street performing and freelance subway music emerged and reemerged over time, and that even when unauthorized they elicited positive public response. Moreover, the performers advanced new art forms, prodded political structures to change, and added meaning to single moments in individuals’ lives (p. 46).

She goes on to note that one of the most important aspects of street performance is the integral role of nodding, clapping, singing, dancing, and jamming in response.

She refers to it as, “a participatory phenomenon, an exchange between musicians and riders—‘partners’ in the subway music scenes.” (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 48). The performers also see themselves as part of the informal social network of the subways and the city (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 78). Tanenbaum calls these instances ‘focused interactions’—public gatherings that bridge the gap between urban anonymity and private relationships (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 97).

The tradition of street performance has largely been excluded from the official historical record (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 15), but evidence of street performance can be found on every continent (Tanenbaum, 1995, p. 34).

Music for Romani Survival

Like the performers of the New York City Subway, Romani musicians have performed in the streets for centuries to create income and appeal to the people from the dominant culture to relieve some of their struggles as the underclass. Street performance, for some, can be a caste distinction, such as the puppet performers in

Rajastahn, India, or a traditional means of income, like the Romani or “gypsy”

Art as Sustainable Practice 13 performers that descended from that caste and traveled across Africa and Europe, leaving little communities along the way.

The main thing that unites the Romani people despite their dispersal across a vast geographical region is music. Music is central to Romani culture. There is actually no written account of the culture. It is rather, an oral culture largely preserved through music (Marre, 1981). Their music developed by integrating various musical styles to appeal to the larger public for their advancement, and therefore has significant variations by geographical region. Romani music has influenced other styles as well, including punk, which can be further utilized to call attention to the human rights abuses of the

Romani to a totally new audience.

It is difficult for the Romanis to maintain solidarity as an ethnic group because they are spread out all over the world and thus have a severe lack of representation. The

Romani endure institutional discrimination in many countries. Article 14 in the United

Nations Universal Declaration (1948) states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum in other countries to escape persecution, however, the Romani have difficulty acquiring refugee status (Kovanic, 2003). In Romania, the most dangerous and oppressive towards the Romani people, the Romani are 80% of the asylum seekers

(Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations, and Human

Rights, 1994, p. 13).

In 1994 the US House had the first congressional hearing about the human rights abuses of the Roma. They decided that the Romani are victims of economic crisis, scapegoating, intolerance, and violence (Subcommittee on International Security,

Art as Sustainable Practice 14

International Organizations, and Human Rights, 1994, p. 1). In Eastern Europe the

Romani are still often met with violence, poverty, and discrimination. Since they are legally defined as “nomads” they do not get the rights of refugees (Kovanic, 2003).

Over 80% of the Romani in Romania are unemployed and 80% of children in

Romanian orphanages are Romani (Subcommittee on International Security,

International Organizations, and Human Rights, 1994, p. 11). Since the children have difficulty speaking the language taught in the schools, most are sent to schools for the mentally handicapped where 80% drop out by age 10 (Subcommittee on International

Security, International Organizations, and Human Rights, 1994, p. 3). Eugene Hutz from the gypsy punk band said in an interview with Birmingham

Weekly,

We want to educate people. Unfortunately, a lot of trouble in the Roma community comes from the fact that they've been isolated from education. For example, in Ukraine they create segregated schools for gypsies where they teach them in Hungarian, because that's one of the languages in that area. But all the colleges and universities there are in Ukrainian and Russian. So it's like a gate to keep Roma down. I was doing an educational project custom making hip-hop, punk and reggaeton music for the Gypsy kids in Eastern Europe. The lyrics are about how to protect yourself from police brutality, how to behave when you are getting arrested, because they simply don't know their civil rights -- it was inspired by the Clash's ‘Know Your Rights.’ It was also about establishing a two-way conversation between the new, young generation of Gypsies who feel very isolated and kind of doomed, actually. When I was trying to think of writing songs for the young Roma, I actually ended up realizing that a lot of what I wanted to say had already been said many times in Bob Marley songs. So right now I'm actually translating Bob Marley songs into Romani (Seay, 2005, p. 33).

The US Congress agrees that claiming recognition of culture will create a sense of pride and empowerment for the Romani (Commission on Security and Cooperation in

Europe, 2006, p. 10). Thanks to Romani activists their community have won seats in

Art as Sustainable Practice 15

European Union Parliament and have won cases before the European Court on Human

Rights (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 2006, p. 2). Many Romani agree claiming recognition of culture is best done through music (Marre, 1981).

Eugene Hutz is very passionate about Romani music and culture and integrating it into other music projects. Punk has been yet another opportunity for Romanis to integrate their music into the public consciousness. As they have done so famously in the past, music is still a wonderful medium to communicate their issues to a more expansive audience.

Music is considered the “single most important and obvious factor” in the advancement of the Romani people (Marre, 1981). Floyd and Quintana (1972) note that the history of their music is based around gaining credibility as musicians in order to gain acceptance and avoid persecution, and they have utilized the stereotype of the

“gypsy performance” to market themselves for this purpose. Children are encouraged from a young age to learn instruments and how to perform for the public (p. 59). Fraser

(1992) states,

Musical talent could be a powerful factor in winning a measure of tolerance, as it did for the Gypsy patriarch Abram Wood who entered Wales in the early 18th century and brought with him, it is said, a violin; and when his sons and grandsons turned to the national instrument, the harp, they were welcomed almost everywhere (p. 201).

During the 19th century in , Russia, and Spain, Romanis rose to a position of considerable eminence as professional musicians (Fraser, 1992, p. 201). In Hungary musicians were the only Romani that achieved high social status (Stewart, 1997, p. 181) and in 1807 only Romani choirs were allowed to settle in Moscow (Lemon, 2000, p. 95).

Art as Sustainable Practice 16

Music was the only expression of Romani culture that Communists allowed and encouraged (Stewart, 1997, p. 181). Stars of the Moscow Romani Theater went on to make up the core of intellectuals and activists of the 1920s and 1930s who went further to build Romani schools (Lemon, 2000, p. 95). Esma Redzepova, a famous Romani musician from Macedonia, has had 2 Nobel Peace Prize nominations for her human rights work (Dellal, 2006).

Hatred against the Romani is deeply embedded in some European cultures, but they have still managed to be celebrated as musicians and secure resources for their communities. Without the popularity of their music the ability of the Romani to secure their needs would be greatly undermined.

Estonia: Tradition and Cultural Identity Overcoming Violence

The Singing Revolution of Estonia is also a tremendous example of the power of community expressing itself through art to overcome adversity. Estonia is a small country of a little over one million in the Baltic that was once part of the .

After the country’s long history of occupation there was little hope for independence.

However, there was one thing that the Soviets couldn’t take from the Estonians; their massive music festival.

Estonians are actually 100% musically literate, and their traditional folk songs are sung at a festival in which 20,000 singers perform and 100,000 people attend (Tusty,

2006). When the soviets realized its potential they took the festival as an opportunity to

Art as Sustainable Practice 17 strip the Estonians of their colorful traditional outfits and songs and coopt the event for their own agenda. In 1969 after all of the scheduled songs were over, the choir stayed on stage and continued to sing the unofficial Estonian anthem. At first the horn section of the orchestra was ordered to try to drown out the singing, but they couldn’t silence the

20,000 singers. They eventually had to let the conductor back on the podium to lead the song. That inspired the creation of the Heritage Society.

In 1988 members of the Heritage Society went on the street corners and started talking about the history of Estonia, expecting the police to quickly come for them.

When that didn’t happen, they organized an outdoor concert. The soviet officials tried to close down the concert when they realized what was going on, so they moved down to the concert grounds eventually accumulating up to 100,000 people (Tusty, 2006).

This series of concerts is known as “The Singing Revolution”.

The Heritage Society lead to a self-appointed mock government, which then passed a bill that said Estonian laws would from thereon take precedence over soviet laws, the Estonian flag would be reinstated, and the Estonian language would be the primary language (all of which were against the Soviet constitution). They then ran their own census to register as Estonians (not members of the USSR) and in 1990 voted in their own congress (Tusty, 2006). This congress, of course, had no money, organized government, police, or army, and was largely for show.

By this time the USSR had sent so many to Estonia in the early 90’s the country was about 40% Russian (Tusty, 2006). They developed an anti-Estonian independence group called Interfront. When the congress passed a bill making it illegal

Art as Sustainable Practice 18

to fly the communist flag, Interfront organized a protest to march to the capitol. The

protest progressed into a sort of coup with the Russians attempting to break into

buildings and the likelihood of violence was escalating. When Estonians heard what

was going on from the radio, they quickly surrounded the rioting Russians and sang

songs. The crowd was about a mile thick, and they separated to allow the Russians to

safely leave. No one was injured. Not long thereafter the Soviet Union crumbled and

Estonia officially had the Independence in 1991 that it had already declared for itself

boldly through song (Tusty, 2006).

The Estonians had found the crucial push they needed at the intersection of

protest and performance. The Heritage Society utilized their Estonian cultural identity

and traditional songs to assert their desire to be independent of the Soviet Union and

were successful.

Performance Interacting with Community

Currently, there are performance groups that communicate what they feel are

important issues by interacting informally with the public. The tools of these groups are

invisible theatre. Street theatre and invisible theatre are often thought of as one in the

same, but they are very different. Street theatre is theatre in a public forum, which is

accessible to any that happen by but the line between performance and audience is still

drawn. Invisible theatre, however, requires the spectators to interact, therefore

becoming ‘actors’ themselves.

Art as Sustainable Practice 19

An invisible theatre group that attempts to shake consumer culture is a charismatic pair of disguised ‘Yes Men.’ Andy Bichlbaum and Michael Bonanno often get invited to give important lectures by organizations that mistake them for the conglomerates that they pose as through their fake internet websites. During their faux lectures they prepare the most preposterous arguments and products in hopes of rousing their audience to start critically questioning some of the unthinkable crimes their targeted corporations have committed. For one hoax in particular Bichlbaum, posed as a representative from Dow Chemicals on the BBC World news, took responsibility for a crisis their chemicals created in Bhopal which later greatly affected the way people thought about that company while they educated thousands on a catastrophe of which they may have been entirely unaware (Bichlbaum, 2009).

Performance is not only enjoyable to watch but can also provide a space for reflection and discussion. Invisible theatre reaches an unsuspecting audience and incites community interaction. Street theatre and invisible theatre are wonderful because they allow all people in one space to have equal access to artistic expression and their potential benefits.

Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy for Individuals

Many forms of expressive arts have been studied to test their relevance in clinical settings. The application of music to promote healing is an established evidence-based practice. The vibrations, tones, and stimuli are proven to have an impact on clients and

Art as Sustainable Practice 20 the results are promising. Abrams (2010) writes on four perspectives through which to examine the factors that are measured when researching the therapeutic benefits of music,

The resulting four perspectives consist of objective (exterior-individual), interobjective (exterior-collective), subjective (interior-individual), and intersubjective (interior-collective) viewpoints on evidence…. The primary type of observable phenomena of interest with respect to human beings is behavior, ranging from organic, physiological responses to cognitive, linguistic, and inter-personal activity of the whole human organism (Abrams, 2010, p. 353-361).

A major benefit of creating theatrical works is that the individuals performing the piece are manifesting their emotions and opinions into a physical product. This fosters a sense of movement towards and accomplishing grander social action. Music has potential benefits for the individual that uses the medium to cope with societal pressures and clearly affirm their rejection of oppressive dominant structures. In fact, this phenomenon has led to the birth of various genres of music. Sheffield (2011) states, “as a genre, hip-hop was born out of the resistance movements during the US civil rights era and the decades that followed (p. 98).” Sheffield continues,

While Native American hip-hop is not immune from the more popular forms of the genre that glorify violence and misogyny, it, like African American and global hip- hop, is also an ideal venue to articulate a means of healing from historical traumas and resisting genocide. It also provides a place for the construction of a contemporary Native American national identity within a country that consistently seeks their elimination. Artists such as Maniac: The Siouxper-natural and Night Shield use hip-hop to identify the historical traumas faced by Native Americans as well as to articulate new pathways toward healing and recovery. Both artists identify the sociopolitical problems that impact Native teenagers today as well as a means for those teens to rectify those problems and create positive change in their lives and the lives of those around them (p. 101).

Art as Sustainable Practice 21

Hip Hop has increasingly received recognition in music therapy. Hip Hop depends heavily on rhythm and beat. A factor of Hip Hop that contributes to the healing experience is the cadence of those rhythms. The healing properties of drumming are rooted in traditional drumming that can be found in many cultures. Native American cultures in particular have a reverence for the drum. The drum is a living entity in that it is built from the earth as well as from animals, and its beat is the beat of life that connects us. Dickerson et al. (2014) measured the effectiveness of Drumming Assisted

Recovery Therapy for Native Americans (DARTNA) when applied to treating substance abuse, concluding,

Results from the DARTNA pretest and focus groups provide support for DARTNA as a culturally appropriate and acceptable substance abuse treatment for AI/ANs. Participants in the DARTNA pretest demonstrated a 50% completion rate, with 80% completing at least half of the 12-week DARTNA treatment protocol. They also reported either maintenance of sobriety or reductions in drug and/or alcohol use. In addition, promising results were found in medical status and psychiatric status…. Pretest participants provided positive feedback about the intervention, its unique cultural benefits, and its potential as a beneficial treatment for AI/ANs with substance use disorders (p. 51).

Drumming is one of many art forms that produces the stimuli integral in the clinical use of expressive arts therapy. The practice seeks to engage the organic cognitive processes already present in the human brain. Koch and Fuchs (2011) comment on the utility of the arts in therapy,

Embodiment denominates a field of research in which the reciprocal influence of the body as a living, animate, moving organism on the one side and cognition, emotion, perception, and action on the other side is investigated with respect to expressive and impressive functions on the individual, interactional, and extended level…. Embodiment bears many chances for arts therapies to build bridges to interdisciplinary cognitive sciences (not only to cognitive psychology, but also to cognitive linguistics, cognitive anthropology, phenomenology, and even robotics), and to actively contribute to

Art as Sustainable Practice 22 establishing the unity of body-mind and the role of movement in the cognitive sciences. The knowledge of movement therapy, for example, is well-suited to help embodiment researchers to better operationalize their body-based interventions and manipulations; the knowledge of music therapy can help to better operationalize rhythmic patterns, and the knowledge of arts therapies can help to better operationalize the effects of qualia in the visual modality (p. 276-278).

Theatre and music have been used as a medium for artistic expression across history and all over the world. Public performance can add excitement to every day places and foster community engagement. A performer and/or the audience member can experience a profound and personal transformation. It can educate on the past, the issues of the present, and the possibilities for the future. The arts will continue to bring people together and inspire dialogue and change.

Art as Sustainable Practice 23

Materials and Methods

The project was accomplished in stages: preparation, the actual event, and the

aftermath resulting from the event. Preparation spanned 8 months and involved meeting

artists, negotiating the terms of their involvement, meeting with potential venues,

creating promotional materials, and advertising the event. The event opened with

information about music therapy and a didgeridoo demonstration. Then the hip hop

performers took to the stage and involved the audience in their performance. The band,

Into The Current, invited one of the hip hop artists to perform with them before closing

the show. Afterwards the artists stayed to interact with the audience, receive feedback,

and plan future collaborations.

Participants

The participants of this project fell into three categories: (1) local attendees in the

audience, (2) local artists performing, and (3) community members that collaborated and

assisted me in coordinating the various aspects of the event. There were a total of five

acts that performed during the show. The event was advertised with flyers and a

FaceBook event page. About 40 different people from the community attended the

event.

The populations engaged in my project consisted of artists and the communities

they are a part of that are local to Humboldt County. Primarily the individuals involved

Art as Sustainable Practice 24 were in the range of 18-30 years old. However some more mature performers also engaged with the younger artists to provide guidance while the event was taking shape.

Sustainability Plan

It is interesting to bring together such diverse groups to perform and present their interpretation of expressive arts therapy. People have been brought together that otherwise never would have collaborated. For the pilot year the implementation of the show was initiated, the performers organized, and the concert took place April 23rd,

2015, at Siren Song in Eureka, California.

When developing this project I considered the potential for sustaining the event and guiding its growth for the next five years. For the sustainability piece that will carry into next year, I am hoping that many of these performers will continue to utilize the connections made through this project. Hopefully performers will engage in more local collaboration across silos of difference. My goal is to connect the arts to healing and social work, and I think if I can expose enough people to that intention I will be able to measure whether there is more interest in similar healing practices. My plan is to encourage performers to engage in their own collaboration for year two. This would provide an opportunity to organize additional workshops to produce specific pieces for the event. Year three the concert could spread into more of a festival. Local companies could sell merchandise (such as t-shirts) made specifically for the event. At this stage a substantial number of volunteers would be recruited, which would also serve to further

Art as Sustainable Practice 25 engage the community. Year four the festival could become an event that takes place over several days and includes speakers and workshops of its own. The festival could include open mics which would open up space for the community to participate to the fullest. Year five there could be a poetry slam at the festival. If the pieces were filmed and posted online the profits could be split with the artist, ensuring their work is sufficiently compensated. As an example I have provided a table detailing the sustainability plan for year 2.

Master Project: Art as Sustainable Practice Sustainability Plan – Year 2 Component/ Action Steps Timeline Method Establish Initial recruitment of 8/15-10/15 Interested Parties artists Venue Identify venue for 9/15 performance Negotiate terms of event 9/15-12/15 Development Develop content for 1/16 to 2/16 of Workshops workshop for artists to create collaborative pieces Identify workshop venue 1/16 Workshops 3/16 Advertise Radio advertisements, 3/16 Event social media advertising Event Artists perform for the 4/16 community Collaboration Artists coordinating with On-going community members Fundraising Performances at open Bi-monthly mics to promote event Other Developing of flyers and On-going handouts

Art as Sustainable Practice 26

Results

The concert was not free of complications or challenges- however, it was an overall success. It was well attended, entertaining, thought-provoking, and informative.

Several performers cancelled last minute and I had to quickly find a replacement for their slots. Two members of the audience collaborated on an entirely unplanned improvisational performance together to fill the time. This was a welcome adjustment that also engaged the audience in developing the concert for themselves.

Some of the artists had very personal pieces to present to the audience. Performer

Cali La Creator has been immersed in his work more than ever since his brother was killed by the police in Willow Creek, California in December of 2014. He was hoping to use his performance in this concert to educate the audience on issues local Indigenous youth are battling. The artist’s mother even offered to bring youth from Hoopa to attend the concert. Unfortunately at the last minute, Cali La Creator was unable to perform at the show; however, concert attendees still insisted on supporting his cause,

#justiceforrichie.

Artists that performed included students, faculty, local hip hop artists, and volunteers from the audience. The band Into The Current featured several Indigenous students as guest vocals and a traditional hand-drum to close their set. Performers that did not commit to the event but still contributed to negotiations included a deaf rapper that raps in sign language, Capoeira performers (a Brazilian martial arts dance), more

Art as Sustainable Practice 27

Native American rappers, and a drum group of students from Humboldt State

University.

Several of the performers happen to be related. The show was opened by Lonyx

Landry, STEM coordinator for the Indian Natural Resources Science & Engineering

Program (INRSEP) at Humboldt State University. His performance incorporated a

reading of the Ojibwe story of Tailfeather Woman who brought the drum to the Ojibwe.

Then he asked me to read an explanation of how the frequencies of the instrument the

didgeridoo can be used for healing, while he played the didgeridoo. After Lonyx was

finished his son Lyndin performed freestyle rap to fill the space left open by an artist

that cancelled last-minute. At one point audience members jumped on stage to freestyle

with Lyndin. Afterwards the audience member performed his own solo work on the

spot.

The two headliners, DVS.D and Into The Current, had a great turn-out. The

energy was up and the venue was almost over-flowing. When the event was over they

exchanged information to collaborate on future events. The owner of the venue

complimented the event on its ability to attract such a large audience. All parties

involved left the concert satisfied and eager to work together again.

Ethical Considerations

The event featured local performers, however, I am an outsider to Humboldt

County. I am not a member of every culture represented by the performers. I have

Art as Sustainable Practice 28

worked very hard to provide avenues for participation from various community

members. This would not be possible if it were up to me alone to saturate myself in the

local performance community. Without that vital engagement from the community, the

event would not be reciprocal and that would undermine the impact I am trying to make.

It is extremely important that the events resonate with this community.

Limitations

My project was ultimately limited by time. Since I was dependent upon artists as

my primary participants I had to be flexible to their needs. Unfortunately many artists

were not able to fully commit to the project. More expensive artists from great

distances, such as Los Angeles, were difficult to write into the budget without that solid

commitment. My primary form of funding was work-trade and performing my own

work. I had a finite amount of time and resources to increase my fundraising. If a

performer committed any later than January then I would be at a huge disadvantage to

raise the money to book them in such a short amount of time. For these reasons the

project did not meet its full potential.

Implications for Social Work Practice

My project will impact social work by supporting the arts as a form of

professional practice. I was able to integrate my learning from my accumulative

academic experience and collaborate with the greater Humboldt community. The

Art as Sustainable Practice 29 performers were recognized and accepted by their communities. The participants witnessed expressive arts therapy in an accessible and engaging way. As a social worker I had the opportunity to practically apply my education to grassroots organizing.

Promoting the arts as viable healing practices can be transformative for my future clients and their communities.

Art as Sustainable Practice 30

Conclusion

The arts as a form of social justice and as a therapeutic practice are not new concepts. I had the opportunity to embody Boal’s sentiment that theatre is a rehearsal of revolution (Boal, 1979, p. 119). Integrating those concepts into a single event for presentation to the local community can be a powerful tool for a community to come together as well as for individuals to progress in their own healing process. They are inherently universal while also being simultaneously personal. This project utilized the arts to build community and explore avenues of education, ceremony, and expression.

The degree of engagement and participation achieved by the concert was unprecedented. The artists were supported, the venue made a profit, the community got involved, and the relationships established through the coordination of the event have taken steps for future collaborations. I am more than satisfied with the success of the event.

I feel that I have made significant strides to build community amongst local performers. I am proud of the accomplishments of my performers as well as their networks that supported our work. I look forward to applying the skills from this project in my future professional endeavors.

Art as Sustainable Practice 31

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Appendix A: Event Flyer