BuildaBridge Community Programs

Over the course of one's lifetime, the boundaries of one's home, work and social environments will shift based on the choices one makes personally and professionally.    For a refugee, personal, professional and social boundaries are often out of their control.   A refugee may not be able to decide on the country into which they flee. Though a refugee may hold an advanced degree in their country of origin, they may not be able to pursue a career in that sector because of the language barrier Upon arrival, the location of their new home is often determined by the refugee resettlement agency handling their case. A refugee often experiences the loss of social networks, anxiety regarding the uncertainty of finding new connections and the fear of isolation in the new country. How does BuildaBridge programming seek to combat these at-risk factors and build protective factors among incoming refugee populations?   By providing culturally specific art therapy and therapeutic ...

To invest:  to give or devote time, talent or finances for a purpose or to achieve something To transform:  to change in condition, appearance or character BuildaBridge's mission is to engage creative people and the transformative power of art making to bring hope and healing to children, families, and communities in the contexts of crisis and poverty.  BuildaBridge envisions a world where all children are resilient, experience self-efficacy, and have a vision for their future. BuildaBridge dedicates its resources to building the capacity of creative adults and local communities to fulfill this vision. For the second year in a row, The Sheila Fortune Foundation and the Union Benevolent Association have both invested in the transformation that has been occurring in the lives of the refugees BuildaBridge serves through the Refugee Project. Since April of 2013, the Refugee Project has served 110 refugees, 91 of whom were children.  Each child attending BuildaBridge...

1.  Collage of children's work Coming into the space of the closing for the Burmese children’s art group, I am surrounded by color and evidence of the creative activity from the term. While the work adorning the walls represents marks, choices and the creative meanderings of each child in attendance, a theme guided with intention and skill by our teaching artists defines the overarching take-away; the power of unity. Folded and bejeweled butterflies flutter around the room metaphorically proclaiming the potential for transformation. Uniquely drafted configurations of interchangeable body segments echo the practice of developing language skills and body-awareness.  A large collage hangs in evidence of a multi-stage exploration of color and design to create a meadow-scape.  But as the class discusses each project on this culminating day, what emerges as the common link between the projects is the progression from focusing on individual pieces to a weaving together of each p...

From L to R: Julie Teixeira, two PPR clients, Christine Byma, Rebecca Asch, NSC case manager Laura; seated row L to R: Jessica LaBarca, PPR client, Julia Crawford, PPR client The Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience (PPR) Spring term concluded May 18th with a time of sharing, food and celebration of clients' accomplishments.  Clients in one group shared the Shoji lanterns they recently created while clients in the second group shared the art journals they created.  The Shoji lantern project is described below. Shoji comes from Japanese architecture and is a wall, room divider, or door covered with translucent paper, allowing light to shine through. Shoji lanterns were used to light the front of temples and shines and were later used to provide light during tea ceremonies.  The Shoji Lantern project focused on two main themes, building and light. Building and emergent sub-themes such as patience, resiliency, and rebuilding were reflected in the art making process as gro...

Music and movement are now incorporated into the Burmese refugee children's group creating a multidisciplinary art environment.  Lead Creative Arts therapist Natalie Hoffmann has a degree in Fine Arts - Painting and a Master's in Creative Arts Therapy.  Since the group started, children have engaged in various visual art-making experiences ranging from painting, collage-making and mapping activities.  Natalie found that the children were very quiet, shy and language differences seemed a barrier to their sharing of artwork.  Artist-on-Call Liz Green joined the teaching team in September 2013 and has since incorporated chants and simple songs to assist the children in their transitions between art-making experiences. Children responded very well to this addition; the added structure to the transitions made them feel less chaotic and more ritualized.  Bethany Stiltner joined the team in April as the Assistant Creative Arts Therapist.  Bethany brings percussio...

“Look at my box!” A young girl in BuildaBridge ’s Refugee Project enthusiastically placed her newly painted inside-out box directly in front of me on the table from where I was observing the class.  The project of the month was about recycling and repurposing. The children, with the help of the teachers, had carefully taken discarded boxes, turned them inside out, glued them back into a box shape, and and were intently painting something they imagined. “Oh, that is very interesting!” I encouraged.  “I looks just like a turtle.” She smiled and nodded with pride. “Does your turtle have a name?” I asked. “This is Talkie the Turtle.”  She picked it up and held it toward my face. “And what does the turtle do?” I asked. “He talks.” She answered. “And what does he say?” “Talkie stuff!” She replied and quickly carried Talkie the Turtle back to the group to continue her painting. Later in the evening I shared my conversation with Natalie Hoffman, Art Therapist and BuildaBridge Art...

A discussion surrounding the word “rebuild” emerged. Is it to build again with new materials or does it suggest rebuilding again from the pieces that have fallen? On a quiet Sunday afternoon five individuals gathered around a table from four different countries, representing three different languages (4 if you’re counting dialect), and spanning three different generations. Through our partnership with the Nationalities Service Center/Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience (NSC/PPR) collaborative, art therapists have facilitated groups for about nine months that explore the past, present, and future for individuals who are immigrants. The past few weeks have been devoted to constructing Japanese Shoji lanterns, with a culminating tea ceremony. Patience, focus, and creative problem solving were just a few virtues challenged by this 3 dimensional project that prompted a lively discussion about selfless rebuilding for the sake of younger generations. The question initially posed about the...