 | Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma
Restoring hope, healing lives |
With up to 9,000 war-impacted refugee and immigrant survivors residing in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma (CSTWT) was created to address urgent mental health needs within the largely underserved local refugee and immigrant community. Now, in addition to various forms of counseling and therapy, CSTWT offers survivors and their families extensive youth programs, one of these being International Playground.
International Play Ground (IPG) is a refugee youth performing arts ensemble that serves as a safe place for refugee youth to come together and share experiences. Through the use of poetry, song, music, art, dance, monologues, and skits, young adults in middle school and high school develop their own theatrical productions, write original scripts, and put on an annual theater production.
Find more information about the Center and a video of International Playground
on their website: http://stlcenterforsurvivors.org/
JULIA'S INTEREST IN IPG:
While visiting my home town of St. Louis this past summer, I attended International Play Ground's most recent performance, The World According to Us. The play opened with anticipatory depictions of the United States and a need to immigrate. Although finding refuge in the US, their exposure and education resulted in disillusionment - a call to serve their war-stricken countries arose, and ultimately lead to a return home. I was struck by the openness in which the students shared their initial perceptions of the States, and blown away by the variety of mediums used in order to express these unique and authentic interpretations. Inspired by their work, I decided to organize the Instruments of Peace Benefit Concert and Art Auction which raised nearly $3000, and brought together various art forms and performing arts organizations in the St. Louis community.
International Play Ground encourages refugee youth to process experiences, out of which develop their expressive and artistic voices. Employing the performing arts as a means to heal serves a function in the lives of these students. I am thrilled to know of IPG's work, and look forward to my continued affiliation.
While visiting my home town of St. Louis this past summer, I attended International Play Ground's most recent performance, The World According to Us. The play opened with anticipatory depictions of the United States and a need to immigrate. Although finding refuge in the US, their exposure and education resulted in disillusionment - a call to serve their war-stricken countries arose, and ultimately lead to a return home. I was struck by the openness in which the students shared their initial perceptions of the States, and blown away by the variety of mediums used in order to express these unique and authentic interpretations. Inspired by their work, I decided to organize the Instruments of Peace Benefit Concert and Art Auction which raised nearly $3000, and brought together various art forms and performing arts organizations in the St. Louis community.
International Play Ground encourages refugee youth to process experiences, out of which develop their expressive and artistic voices. Employing the performing arts as a means to heal serves a function in the lives of these students. I am thrilled to know of IPG's work, and look forward to my continued affiliation.
