Arts Activation 2024: Harmony and Healing
A day of inspiring workshops, art experiences, performances, and conversation about the intersection of arts and health.
Date and Time
Saturday, October 19, 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Location
Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building 2300 Washington Street Boston, MA 02119
Summary
There is a global movement to catalyze the arts for health. Boston Arts Activation 2024: Harmony and Healing (BAA2024) brings a global conversation to Boston to inspire collaborations and celebrate local initiatives. Bringing together artists, thought-leaders, healthcare professionals, and arts-focused organizations, BAA2024 features a full day of workshops, art experiences, performances, and conversation about the intersection of arts and health in the Greater Roxbury and Dorchester communities. Collectively, we will exchange ideas, hear from innovative voices, and experience firsthand the way the arts are a force for well-being.
This is a free event, open and accessible to all.
Schedule
9:15 a.m.–9:45 p.m. Registration and Tabling (lobby)
9:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Welcome Remarks (lobby)
- Brenda Ross, MBA, Community, and Partner Engagement Director, Berklee’s Music Therapy Department
- Wyatt Jackson Expressive Arts Coordinator, Can We Talk Network …, and Executive Director, We Move in Color Collaborative, Inc.
- Joy Allen, PhD, MT-BC, Acting Director, Berklee Music and Health Institute, and Chair, Berklee Music Therapy Department
9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Quiet Reflection Room Open (second floor annex)
10:15 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Experiential and Performance: Stephen O’Neal (Musician) and Stajez Cultural Arts Center (lobby)
10:40 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Keynote: Catalyzing Change—The Arts as a Pathway to Health Equity in BIPOC Communities (2nd floor auditorium)
This keynote conversation will explore how the arts can play a vital role in improving mental health and resilience in BIPOC communities. Leaders in arts and health will discuss how thoughtfully designed arts programs can bridge cultural divides, promote healing, and inspire collective action for justice and equity. Attendees will gain insights into how storytelling, power-sharing, and community engagement can address health inequities and shape a more resilient future.
Facilitator: Rev. Liz Walker (Minister, Veteran Television Journalist)
Panelists:
- Daniel Callahan, MFA, Multimedia Artist and Designer
- Daniel Chonde, MD, PhD, Executive Director, The People’s heArt
- Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council
- Nisha Sajnani, PhD., RDT-BCT, Associate Professor of Drama Therapy, NYU Steinhardt, and Co-Founder of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab
11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Conversation 1: Rich Cultural Identities—Decolonizing the Expressive Arts (second floor auditorium)
What happens when we reclaim the art forms of our ancestors? In this panel, we explore the movement to decolonize the expressive arts by embracing and celebrating cultural traditions within ancient and indigenous healing practices. It’s a conversation about reclaiming healing through art rooted in culture and identity.
Facilitator: Ron Savage, President and Founder, Ron Savage Music Academy and Vice President and Executive Director, Berklee College of Music
Experiential Lead: Robert Kelley-Morgan, Director of Operations, Dorchester Art Project
Panelists:
- Lecolion Washington, Executive Director, Community Music Center of Boston
- Toki Wright, Community Partnerships and Program Manager, BAMS Fest, and Chair, Berklee Professional Music Department
- Pascale Florestal, Director of Education, Front Porch Arts Collective, and Assistant Professor of Theatre, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
- Robert Kelley-Morgan, Director of Operations, Dorchester Art Project
11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Artist Workshop: Why Accessibility Matters In Your Work (6th floor)
Ellice Patterson MS, founder/executive and artistic director of Abilities Dance Boston, will discuss why accessibility matters within your work through examples of disability aesthetics in arts and conversations relevant to your practice. Attendees will explore strategies to increase accessibility, ensuring that deaf/disabled folks can work in and/or participate in arts-based programs, fostering creativity and connection for everyone. Designed for artists and arts administrators.
12:30 p.m.–1:15 p.m. Lunch Break with DJ Hustle Simmons (6th floor)
1:15 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Break
1:30 p.m.–1:50 p.m. Experiential: Urbanity Dance (lobby)
2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. Conversation 2: Healing from Intergenerational Trauma (2nd floor auditorium)
How do we break the cycles of trauma passed down through generations? Join this important conversation on intergenerational trauma, where panelists discuss the power of storytelling, music, and art to heal old wounds and help communities reclaim their mental and emotional health.
Facilitator: Renate Rohlfing, MA, MT-BC, Co-Founder, Sounds That Carry, and Associate Professor, Berklee’s Music Therapy Department
Experiential Lead: Danza Organica
Panelists:
- Colleen Sharka, LHMC, Associate Director, RPC Social Impact Center
- Yvonne Castañeda, LICSW, Director of Community-Based Initiatives, and Adjunct Professor at the Boston College School of Social Work
- Danielle McFarlane, Director, Cory Johnson Program at RPC Social Impact Center
- Mar Parilla, Founding Artistic Director, Danza Orgànica
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conversation 3: Unlocked — Preventing Recidivism Through the Arts (2nd floor auditorium)
Can art change lives? This panel explores how creative expression is transforming the lives of formerly incarcerated individuals by amplifying voices, nurturing a sense of purpose, and as a path away from the cycle of recidivism. Learn how the arts are unlocking potential and offering hope for a fresh start.
Facilitator: Krystal Pegram, Executive Director, RPC Social Impact Center
Experiential Lead: Stephen O’Neal, Musician
Panelists:
- Stacey Borden, MEd, LADC, Founder and Executive Director, New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc.
- Cliff Notez, Multimedia Artist, Musician, and Assistant Professor, Berklee’s Songwriting Department
- Amanda Shea, Multidisciplinary Artist
- Jason Talbot, Co-Founder/Managing Director of Programs, Artists for Humanity
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conversation 4: Music, Health, and Spirituality in BIPOC Communities (6th floor)
Discover the powerful connection between music, health, and spirituality in BIPOC communities. This panel dives into how music has long been a source of healing, strength, and belonging, and how it continues to play a crucial role in overcoming health challenges and nurturing spiritual well-being.
Facilitator: Shea Rose, Recording Artist, Voice and Yoga Coach, and Assistant Professor, Berklee’s Professional Performance Division
Experiential Lead: Wyatt Jackson, Expressive Arts Coordinator, Can We Talk Network…, and Executive Director, We Move in Color Collaborative, Inc.
Panelists:
- Giselle Byrd, Executive Director, Theatre Offensive
- Evelyn Brito, Executive Producer, Bodega Makeover, and Board President, Secret Society of Black Creatives
- Kelly Chunn, Board President, Roxbury Cultural District, and Principal, Kelly Chunn and Associates
- Kei Slaughter, MFA, MA, MT-BC, Musician, Music Therapist, and Associate Professor, Berklee’s Music Therapy Department
4:00 p.m.–4:50 p.m. Experiential: Can We Talk Network… (2nd floor auditorium)
Facilitated by the Rev. Liz Walker (Minister, Veteran Television Journalist) and the staff of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church Social Impact Center/Can We Talk Network ..., this experiential session gives space for participants to tell their stories of trauma and triumph in a safe and affirming context. Expressive Artists are intertwined with the stories to create an atmosphere of abiding, reflection, and community healing.
5:00 p.m.–5:20 p.m. Closing Experiential: Amanda Shea (Spoken Word Artist) & Carrie Johnson (Singer) Performing Gen Rubin’s Original Song, "Harmony in Healing" (lobby)
5:20 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Closing Remarks (lobby)
- Joy Allen, PhD, MT-BC, Acting Director, Berklee Music and Health Institute, and Chair, Berklee Music Therapy Department
- Wyatt Jackson, Expressive Arts Coordinator, Can We Talk Network…®, and Executive Director, We Move in Color Collaborative, Inc., and Brenda Ross, MBA, Community and Partner Engagement Director, Berklee’s Music Therapy Department
5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. Reception (6th floor)
Musical interludes throughout the day by Pat Loomis
Tabling Organizations
Community Music Center of Boston
Center for Music Therapy at Berklee
Christine Sinclair: Stop and Shop Community Health Counselor
Contact
Musicandhealthinstitute@berklee.edu
Cosponsored by Can We Talk Network…
