Voice to the unheard

http://itspnyc.org/theater_arts_against.html

This site is dedicated to giving a face, voice, and movement to artist and people who are trauma survivors. Some of the images that I found via this site I found provocative and challenging to watch. I'm not sure if I found them disturbing because of the subject matter that hey provoke or me own experiences with sexual abuse trauma survivors, and I'm not sure it matters. What's important is what is being said and that it's being given a voice and being heard that is the powerful part. I find that in general looking at artist that deal with this intense subject matter, I am moved by the vocals often more so then the visuals. Funny considering that I would consider myself to be a visual person all the way around. GIving a voice to the unheard....

Is creative writing a must? Should outside sources be contacted?

Theoretically if I were to facilitate a creating writing workshop after school to help facilitate dialogue and expression of feeling, how formal should my workshop be? Should I pull in outside help from a group therapists? Or would bringing in an outside person be to off putting for students to open up to?

places to go, ways to say

http://www.survivorsartfoundation.orgThis is a great site that is dedicated to creating an outlet for trauma survivors to express themselves. I like the idea of having an online gallery space for survivors. From my own experiences, verbally talking about my issues what a no go in public forums. Issues about death, dying, incest, child abuse and neglect, drug abuses, and addiction of all types exist in our school. Because they exist in our lives, forbidding the topic from classroom allows ignorance and self-hatred to grow rather then healing and understanding. Since providing a free and clear space for students to speak what’s on their minds is an unwavering issue I want target in my student and in my own life as an artist; listing sites such as this one would direct students on where they can be heard safely away from school and into the real world. Education is useless if it doesn’t help you navigated the real world.
http://safekids.survivorsartfoundation.org/knews.html
another great site that is more kid directed

Why is it trauma, that fuels so much artistic creativity, and why do public school frown on traumatic expression?

As both an educator and an artist I'm curious as to why trauma has fueled so much creative expression in artists. Speaking for myself and the traumatic experiences in my own life, creating visual often has helped me find words to my feeling and thoughts. Perhaps creating something out of so much pain and confusion is grounding in some therapeutic fashion. I know that there are massive studies of the benefits of art therapy and the necessity for trauma survivors to express their thoughts and feeling. However I don't understand why so many school boards refused to allow students to express their feeling visually. It seems that rather than allowing a student to paint or depict a disturbing picture their work is used against them by counselors and schools alike. Few kids, even those looking for attention are ready to spill their guts to a school counselor. With no safe place to express their feeling where can students turn to express their feelings when there are often no words to put to them?