Berklee and Can We Talk… Celebrate Healing Power of the Arts in BIPOC Communities

The Berklee Music and Health Institute and the Can We Talk… initiative are proud to host Arts Activation 2024: Harmony and Healing, a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) community-focused celebration of the arts as a force for human connection and healing, Saturday, October 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Roxbury.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will convene artists, thought leaders, healthcare professionals, and arts-focused organizations from greater Roxbury and Dorchester for an exchange of innovative ideas and personal stories focused on the intersection of arts and health, as both a response to trauma and a means to foster individual and collective resilience.

Several keynote speakers, performing artists, educators, and health and well-being experts will be featured throughout the program, which includes live performances, interactive workshops, and discussions. In response to global conversations about creative expression as a tool for coping with and confronting trauma, the event aims to elevate local efforts in this space, specifically the arts’ long-standing role as a unifying and healing force in BIPOC communities.

“We don’t know the power we already have. This event is about tapping into who you really are and what’s inside of you,” said Reverend Liz Walker, community activist and founding director of Can We Talk…, a community-based, clinically supported initiative aimed at creating a safe space for those suffering the effects of violence to share their stories and express their pain. “When you are traumatized, you are disrupted—your thinking process, your brain, your body—but expression and movement, it frees you. It’s the discovery of what we already have as people to empower ourselves, and tapping into that inner joy through the arts. That is why I’m so excited about this collaboration.”

“The arts have been used for generations in communities of color as a way to heal and connect,” said event cochair Brenda Ross, community and partner engagement director for the music therapy ecosystem at Berklee. “That’s what this day is about—raising up and celebrating the great work happening in our community and linking it to the health benefits that scientific data supports.”

Notable participants include Wyatt Jackson, event cochair and expressive arts coordinator for Can We Talk…; Ron Savage, vice president and executive director, Berklee College of Music; Ellice Patterson, founder and executive/artistic director, Abilities Dance; music industry veteran DJ Hustle Simmons (Brandon Arthur); percussionist Stephen O’Neal; and dancers from Urbanity Dance and the Stajez Cultural Arts Center. Singer Carrie Johnson will also give a special performance of the song “Harmony in Healing” by Latin Grammy–winning artist Gen Rubin.

Themes to be explored at the event include intergenerational trauma, decolonizing creative expression, cultural legacies of healing through the arts, and accessibility and inclusion in the arts and health fields.

“This event is an opportunity for us to gather, exchange, connect, take time to truly see and hear each other, and share a smile—reminding ourselves of the work we’re doing, individually and collectively, to uplift the health and wellness of everyone in our community,” said Shea Rose, assistant professor of performance, who will facilitate a conversation on music, health, and spirituality in BIPOC communities. “It’s also a moment to explore where our efforts intersect, engage in meaningful dialogue about innovations and possibilities, and weave these advancements into the spiritual wisdom that is foundational to our community’s healing journey.”

Find more information and register for the event.

About Can We Talk… 

Can We Talk…  is a network of concerned community members who abide by people who are hurting and provides a circle of peer support to protect against the isolation and stigmatization often associated with formal mental health treatment. Neighbor offers neighbor a compassionate, judgment-free presence that says: “You are not alone.” This is a space where we can all be heard, touched, and moved. Formed in response to the tragic death of Cory Johnson, who was killed by stray gunfire outside his father’s home, Can We Talk… has grown into a nationwide network of therapists, community activists, and caring citizens dedicated to addressing the collateral damage caused by the epidemic of violence in urban communities.