Leave your diagnosis at the door: Norwich CT arts group partners with NPR's The Moth
“You’re great at that… You’ve got this covered.”
Those were some of the encouraging words called out by Faith Satterfield during the Art with Faith class, one of the many programs accessible at Artreach, an arts and health agency that’s been around Norwich since 1985.
Art class members were working on reimagined book covers, finishing up personal projects to be hung at the New London library. Some were in person in the downstairs workroom, while others had dialed in via Zoom.
Artreach offers all kinds of opportunities for those looking to heal through creativity.
“I just fell in love with it,” Lara Schmieder, who sang in Artreach’s “Coffeehouse” musical showcase said. “It was a really nice process of giving myself permission to be creative in a way that I never thought I would be,” she said, about singing for the first time publicly, and then continuing on to participate in the International Music Day event.
Schmieder's enthusiasm for the nonprofit was so irresistible she was asked to join the Board and now serves as the Program Committee chair.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to be singing one of my favorite songs while somebody accompanies me, like it just blew my mind,” Schmieder said, adding, “There was something transformative about it. It’s incredibly fun. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
'Leave your diagnosis at the door'
“We have a community agreement to leave your diagnosis at the door,” said Rebecca Atkins, the organization’s executive director. “And what we mean by that is leave the stuff of the day, the problems you’re having, at the door, and instead walk in knowing you can be however you are. And for this next hour, you’re going to make a choice to make art and to support yourself, and let us support you in any way you need in order to meet that goal.”
Artreach is perhaps most famous for its Second Step Players, the original iteration of the organization. Second Step consisted of actors, writers and production personnel who transformed their lived experience with mental health issues into a vision of theater that served as both entertainment and education. Their annual production at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center was a beloved event that hooked in many fans of Artreach, including Cynthia Adams.
“It’s a real stigma-busting comedy,” Adams said of the Second Step performances. “It’s funny, it’s relevant and it’s meaningful.”
Offerings include art, playwriting, stand-up comedy, poetry
Since 2007, Artreach changed its structure, broadening its offerings. Now anytime of the week, you can sign up for all kinds of free endeavors such as a morning movement class, Bullet Journal keeping, art, playwriting, stand-up comedy, poetry, coffeehouse performances, playing in the Friday jazz group, to name just a few. A positive environment, mutual support, respect and kindness are the defining qualities emphasized in Artreach’s programming.
“I think the poetry group brought me to be my creative best,” said Adams about her first foray into Artreach participation. “And it always brought out bigger feelings and bigger emotions than I would have tapped into on my own.”
In addition to the rich variety of programming offered at the CT nonprofit, Adams found the flexibility of online options particularly encouraging. “If they didn’t have all the online opportunities, I don’t think I’d be able to participate as much.”
Major initiatives: Theater production, partnership with NPR
Atkins is particularly excited that they are bringing a theatrical production back to the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford this fall. Artreach received special funding from several organizations to create a devised theater piece, “The Waiting Room,” which focuses on the racial disparities in healthcare, mental healthcare in particular.
“So this project started a year and a half ago, with a series of community conversations that we hosted together on mental health stories,” said Atkins.
“And so we were looking at, what are the issues? What are the barriers?”
Another project centers around storytelling, a program in partnership with NPR’s The Moth radio and podcast series. Moth workshops begin at Artreach Sept. 16, where participants will work on transforming their life stories into well-crafted narratives.
“So people will apply to do this intensive to learn how to craft a story first, and then there’s a second opportunity in November,” described Atkins. The intensive will culminate in a small story event that will be shared with invited guests.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself in terms of giving myself permission to push the barriers a little bit about how I relate to people who aren’t necessarily from the world that I came from, and just appreciate the quality of life that I have by getting to know the community that I’m in and the creative people that have given me so much,” Schmieder said.
Meeting the artistic challenges has also inspired Schmieder to further pursue her passion for photography, and she has submitted to several gallery shows since getting involved with Artreach.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Artreach in Norwich focuses on mental health, underserved communities
