We believe that many underserved and socio-economically marginalized communities, marked by poverty and high crime, are prone to fall into collective Anomic Depression, a dangerous sense of communal disconnect that arises when a marginalized culture;
1) is forced to identify its standards of success by the culture that oppressed it historically, and 2) has not been offered equal access to the economic and educational resources needed to achieve that success due to systemic oppression.
This collective depression often spans and intensifies over multiple generations.Here at Moving Creations, we believe that many of the hi-risk, deviant behaviors of youth from these communities are symptoms of this collective anomic depression. At the onset of adolescence, girls and boys living in high crime, socio-economically marginalized environments, especially in unstable homes, are particularly vulnerable to this depression in their community and often act on it unconsciously through acts of self destruction such as substance abuse, unprotected sexuality, and violence.These behaviors can lead to the contraction of STIs, pregnancy, and academic failure.
Preadolescence can be a precarious phase in youth development and can easily lead children into delinquent, violent and/or self-destructive activities. In this phase of development a young person’s identity is in its most malleable state, so the effects of living in a community facing anomic depression can be great.Girls and boys developing in these communities need very strong support systems around them if they are to form an empowered adult identity and life purpose.
Visionary Arts Leadership
Central to our programming is the concept of Visionary Arts Leadership, defined as the capacity to use the creative and performing arts in diverse, creative and inspiring ways to envision, communicate and promote positive change in oneself and the world.
In addition, we combine the arts with spirituality in such a way as to help the girls and boys understand and believe in the unlimited potential of their own creativity ---- and strengthen their self esteem and will power as a result.
Girls and boys who enter our programs are encouraged to use this connection to discover a sense of purpose for their lives: to explore who they want to become and what they want to contribute to the world; and to develop the inner tools to help them turn their visions of change into action.
Girls on the Move Project Philosophy
We believe that the special nature of the Girls on the Move Project lies in the emphases on Creation as a form of agency, and on the importance of feminist theory regarding Agency in Community.The girls themselves lead the way in the development of each artistic endeavor, from the basic initial concept down to each technical detail.We then seek to engage the particular communities surrounding each girl by encouraging their attendance to every performance and enlisting their future support for the participant’s goals and visions.
Our program is also unique in the degree to which it tailors itself to the needs of each group. Girls often enter the program mistrustful, shy and reluctant, so we offer a wide range of activities to make sure that every girl is able to find one that brings out her creative voice. We make sure to showcase at least 2 art forms during each workshop, including a dance or theater-based trust building warm up.Every week the participants journal about the programming, and we tailor future weeks around how they respond to the art presented.One youth advocate observing the opening sessions was surprised by the speed with which our technique for engagement worked:
“The representation of artists coming one after the other keeps the girls really focused. I have never seen anything like this, nor any group of girls take to a bunch of tasks so quickly and positively. I see the difference in them being here in this big and positive space with these artists – from having no positive role models around them in their daily lives that they can really respond to. This program brings a positive energy and shows them that they have the opportunity to go far and beyond what they see every day.”
The performance itself is another transforming agent; afterwards girls speak of how proud they were of themselves, how happy they were to have achieved success and to have an audience appreciate them. Family members note changes in the girls from the beginning to the end of the program. One grandmother wrote after the performance was over, “As a result of your program my 3 grandchildren have shown more confidence in themselves.” She expressed surprise at how her youngest grandchild had become more self-expressive with the family and stated, “My daughter was so impressed at the closing performance that she wants to know if there is a program like this for boys.”
The Girls on the Move program’s unique structurewas designed based on four conceptsdrawn from the masters’ thesis research of Emily Nussdorfer, the founder and executive director of Moving Creations.From her investigation of feminist relational theory, gender-based adolescent developmental theory, creative arts therapy, and community psychology, these key reparative factors were identified:
Collectivism: The individual is inextricably linked to her/his community. Synergy: Resources should be shared and equally available to all so that power is shared by all. Mutual Empowerment: Individuals may be empowered at the same time a group is empowered. Creative Artistic Transformation Processes: The therapeutic use of art forms to promote personal, gender and cultural identity repair
These concepts are showcased in the Girls on the Move Project using seven key creative art forms picked specifically for our target population of adolescent girls to therapeutically facilitate the Creative Transformation of anomic depression. To support the healthy identity development of the girls from the underserved communities we serve, We utilize:
1) Dance to safely channel aggression and sexuality, 2) Poetry to vocalize feelings of depression/rage and to articulate dreams and hopes for the future, 3) Fashion Art to promote healthy female body image and to celebrate personal and cultural identity, 4) Theater Improvisation to cathartically rework negative identifications, and
5) Mask Art/Character Dance Choreography to try on more positive and powerful identifications through character creation.
6) Performance Creation: as a therapeutic educational process to build positve team spirit, develop conflict resolution skills and foster individual initiative, mastery and self esteem.
Each of these artistic activities is linked to a specific therapeutic/educational process, and at the core of each process is a new definition of empowerment.By the end, through collaborating with each other in a long-term creative effort, the girls find “a way of being in relationship that simultaneously enhances the power of the other and one’s own power,” and develops a “relational context where mutual power is encouraged and facilitated”
7) Once this process of healthy identity formation has taken place, we then help the girls to internalize those changes through a Documentary Film-making process that grounds their new sense of self and purpose into the wider community.
[1]Surrey. 1991., Relationship and empowerment. In J.V. Jordan, A.G. Kaplan, J.B. Miller, I.P. Stiver, & J.L. Surrey (Eds.). Women’s growth in connection: writing from the stone center. (p. 164-166). New York: The Guilford Press.
