R.I. nonprofit uses the arts to tackle the stigma of mental illness
Providence JournalFeb 20, 2019
The brainchild of two
A native of
"Our premise is that art brings people together," Roberts told The Journal. "Mental health is often spoken about in very medical, impersonal terms. So we bring people together in community spaces to make art -- all sorts of different kinds of art."
And with the making and performing, Roberts said, come "open honest and vulnerable conversations surrounding mental health ... We find that art is a very powerful tool for engaging people who might not otherwise be engaging with the topic of mental health."
ARMS began with a conversation over coffee in
"I myself was being empowered to take charge of my narrative to lower my own stigma against mental health and start to get treatment start, to 'write through it,' start to have really honest conversations with the people around me," Roberts said. She penned a book about living with depression titled "Hello. I'm Going Back to Bed. Good Morning," that she hopes to publish one day. Creating it, she said, helped in the process of "being empowered to take charge of my narrative to lower my own stigma against mental health and start to get treatment."
Coffee over, Roberts said, she and classmate Spring "decided to get to work on something that day. We weren't really sure what it was [yet] but we wanted to further explore what
"So that day, we set out and we just started having tons of meetings with everyone," people from many walks of life who "use art as a means of coping with their personal narratives, as a way of engaging with political issues or social issues. We just started learning everything that we could from the people around us and then meanwhile doing research."
Last spring, ARMS was incorporated as a nonprofit organization. In September, said Roberts, who is now CEO, ARMS was certified as a 501(c)(3) entity by the Internal Revenue Service. So far, the staff of 14 works on a volunteer basis, according to Roberts; a 10-member advisory board helps provide guidance. Most events are free, and all are open to everyone, student and non-student alike.
In addition to several public events and more in the planning, Roberts said, ARMS is working with students at
"We really try and target all sorts of different areas of people, all sorts of different populations that we know both need the development and mental health education, but more so may just need to have critical conversations with people who have mental illness and get to know them. And a great way to do that is through art. Art is really personal. It really builds communities.
"And while it does these things, it also has an individual transformation with people to process their trauma, to be empowered to share their stories."
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