2. #Poetry4MentalHealth
YOUR FACILITATOR: Olivia
Olivia Buntaine (she/her) is an
award-winning poet, theatremaker, and
general rabble-rouser whose work focuses
on themes of liberation after violence.
Through plays, poetry, and creative
non-fiction, Olivia works most often in the
universes of girlhood, queerness, and
survivorship. She is also the artistic
director of the theater company Project
Nongenue - a company dedicated to
centralizing the voices of women and
marginalized populations in classical
theater, mythology, and history.
4. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HERE’S THE PLAN
1. Define our terms
2. Practice a way of expressing ourselves:
Immerse - Explore - Express
3. Share
4. Panel
5. Evaluation (and a chance to enter to win
$25!)
5. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HEADS UP
● Mental health is personal – YOU are the expert on
your own experience
● Talking about our mental health in relation to our
sexual orientations and genders can be intensely
personal
● This is a public, shared space
● Please take care of yourself however you need,
including asking for help.
12. #Poetry4MentalHealth
THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
We are considering anyone who’s
gender identity is anything other
than cisgender and anyone who’s
sexual orientation is anything
other than heterosexual to be part
of the community.
13. #Poetry4MentalHealth
IMMERSE, EXPLORE, EXPRESS
As a group, we will immerse ourselves in 2
short films from our OLIVE Film Collection.
Together, we will explore the themes brought
up in the films through discussion.
Individually, we will express our thoughts
and feelings through writing exercises to
create poetry as a response.
16. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
You are invited to share a few
words to describe how you’re
feeling, or your thoughts on
the film.
Immerse
In small groups...
18. #Poetry4MentalHealth
SCENARIO
Put yourself in the position of our bisexual
factory worker.
Explore
EXPLORE
Your co-worker tells you he doesn’t agree
with people being gay. How do you
respond?
19. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Explore
Share with the group:
How do you respond?
● Silence- it would take out a part of myself to say
something. People get suspicious.
● Things can catch you off guard - you’re at work - “I’m
just trying to do my homework!”
● There’s probably not human resources here - risking
your job
● I’m gonna laugh and say “because I’m gay” - and then
stop acknolwedging their presence. Not engaging.
28. #Poetry4MentalHealth
STAGING FACE
BY STEPH YOUNG, JAKE IVANY & VIE JONES
Voices With Impact 2020
Immerse
Content heads up: discussion of depression, anxiety,
transphobia, misgendering
30. #Poetry4MentalHealth
SCENARIO
Think about the struggles
of these three characters.
Explore
It’s taken a lot to reject traditional
notions of gender and find
recognition. People hold very tightly
to these traditional ideas.
31. #Poetry4MentalHealth
SCENARIO
Think about the struggles
of these three characters.
Explore
EXPLORE
Why do we, as a society, resist
seeing people’s true selves?
It’s taken a lot to reject traditional notions of
gender and find recognition. People hold very
tightly to these traditional ideas.
32. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Explore
Share with the group:
Why do we, as a society, resist
seeing people’s true selves?
● Folks who have not experienced mental health might
feel uncomfortable understanding mental illness
shaping someone’s identity
● Whenever someone challenges binary concepts, the
response is just to be mad
45. #Poetry4MentalHealth
AWI: Continued Connections
Exclusive community events and spaces
Arts-based discussion trainings
Interview and discussion opportunities
Weekly art + wellness prompts
Scan the QR Code to learn more!
bit.ly/awi-cc
46. #Poetry4MentalHealth
MEET THE PANEL
bit.ly/wiwq-wc
Dericka Canada Cunningham, PhD
(she/her/hers)
Licensed Psychologist & Cross-Cultural Specialist, Stone Center
Counseling Service,Wellesley College
Ty Coleman
Health Navigator, Framingham GLASS at RISE
47. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Please fill out the evaluation!
@artwithimpact
info@artwithimpact.org
You can enter for a chance to win $25!
If you are receiving credit for attending this workshop, at the end of the
evaluation, you’ll be prompted to add your information to a sign-in
sheet.
Evaluation responses will remain separate and anonymous.