Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that happens each year after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a time when Canadians, charities and businesses come together to celebrate giving and participate in activities that support charities and non-profits.
There is no “right” way to participate as long as it supports generosity and giving. Donate, volunteer time, help a neighbour, or spread the word. This year, our goal is to raise $5000 for our View from the Inside Program!
View from the Inside: Courage Journey (VIEW) is a puppetry-based series of workshops that encourages discussion about mental wellness. Through the creation, exhibition, and performance of a self-reflective mask-body puppet, participants develop community, foster resiliency and gain a voice for their stories.
“Art has the ability to heal and transform. Art has the ability to soothe your soul… The process of doing the mask and evaluating who am I helped get back in touch with who I lost. ” – VIEW participant Eli
The program has had remarkable resonance in the community and won ATB Financial’s Healing Through the Arts Award at the Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions in 2018.
Since 2015, WP Puppet Theatre has delivered the VIEW program to hundreds of participants and partnering groups including Forest Lawn High School, the Alzheimer’s Society of Calgary, Carya-Active Chinese Seniors Cultural Group, United Active Living, Studio C, and many more. We currently have a waiting list of organizations and high schools who would like to participate in the program.
“I want someone to look at my mask and see that it is powerful… It is a metaphor for how I see myself now… What it has done for me is a lot of healing.” – View participant Donna
To run a series of 6-8 workshops with an art therapist and art teacher for a group of around 15 people costs approximate $5700. As we are serving vulnerable communities or other charitable organizations, we can only run this program through the funds that we raise through donations, sponsorships, and grants. Your donation of $300 could fund one person in the program, $150 could fund the masks, and $50 could help with art supplies.
“The idea was special and unique… it was the first time I enjoyed art, like that I can hide secrets… Everything was special, the whole thing. It made you accept yourself, all sides… love yourself.” Syrian Refugee Youth
The VIEW project has four components providing a unique and innovative approach:
- “Public Me,” where participants explored trust, team building, how they present themselves to others and perceive how others see them, to create the outside of the mask.
- “Private Me” where participants collect images, ephemera and other objects to represent their inner self as expressed on the inside of the mask.
- “Connected to Me” where participants attached objects to their mask that represent their relationship with the community and their own history.
- “Presenting Me” which was focused on mask-puppet manipulation and sharing stories or artistic statement.
Emerging research suggests that creative arts therapies and experiences can help to reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem and quality of life. VIEW gives participants the opportunity to bring to light their experiences of challenge and resiliency through art making, storytelling, drama and movement, live puppetry performance and media technologies. Help us deliver this transformative program to more people and charitable organizations by making a donation today!
Check out our webpage on the Giving Tuesday website!