Healing Through Creativity
| File:HTC logo.gif | |
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Focus | Recovery from Trauma, Cancer, Sexual Abuse, Grief, Accidents |
| Location | |
| Method | Annual Art Festival [1] |
Key people | George R, Administrator and Founder Tracey B, Administrator Vicky, Administrator Ginger G, Administrator Haullie F, Administrator John W, Administrator |
| Website | www.healingthroughcreativity.org |
Healing Through Creativity abbreviated to HTC is an organization that holds an annual art, music, writing, poetry and other creative forms event each year in the state of Western Virginia, for survivors recovering from Trauma, Cancer, Sexual Abuse, Grief and Accidents. The event attracts international attention, with submissions taken for the event through the organization's website and PO. Box from all over the globe.
The event is heralded as a major event for many survivors of trauma and sexual abuse all around the globe. In 2007, the event attracted a high percentage of international attendees, and, in 2008, event organizers expect a lower percentage of international attendees, however, expect an overall increase in the numbers of attendees both from the USA and abroad.
Media
The event attracts local media. The highlight last year was an interview conducted by US radio station, The Festival of the Arts with event organizers and administrators George and Tracey gave an hour long interview[2]. On the 11th of June 2008, Healing Through Creativity made a media release entitled "Call for Artists and Performers for the Healing through Creativity Festival"[3] which was the organizations method of attracting performers and artists to the annual event, Healing Through Creativity has said there has been a "healthy response" to the call for performers and artists at this year’s event.
Venue
In a move to accommodate increased turnout at this year’s event, HTC has changed the venue this year from "Museum in the Community," where the event was held in 2006-07, to "West Virginia State University" in 2008, which is a larger venue.
Promotion
The organization recently launched MySpace and Facebook profiles to help raise awareness of the event and connect with other similar organizations (and their members) as a way of promoting the annual event.
HTC has also used support sites to connect with survivors of trauma, cancer, sexual abuse, grief, and accidents. Some of which are the AfterSilence and the Pandora's Aquarium ("Pandys") support forum and chat room sites for survivors of rape, sexual abuse, and sexual assault. "Pandys" is the worlds largest survivor support site[4], and AfterSilence is the worldest 2nd largest survivor support site in the world, based on the number of posts by members [5].
Supporters
The event supporters are West Virginia State University, Hampton, West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, and Holiday Inn Express, who covers some of the event costs[6], the remainder of the event costs are covered by the organizers and by individual/personal donations [7] HTC also recently added as a “Donations” section to the website to help cover some of the website and event costs.
Website
In 2007, HTC launched their website which is used as a means of communication with potential event attendees, the website has been hailed a "huge success" by HTC Administrators, with the website drawing many expressions of interests and submissions to the HTC annual event. Soon after launching the event website HTC launched a support forum and chat room as an extension to the event's website so that, in addition to the annual event, HTC runs the support forum and chat room as a means to offer support and communication to survivors. The HTC Administrators declare that the forum site and chat room is "growing at a steady pace"[8]
HTC also recently added a “Donations” section[9] to the website to help cover some of the website and event costs.
References
- MySpace profile of HTC Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- call for presents on "AfterSilence" website Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- Radio show for HTC Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- Whitedoves Nest Homepage with information about HTC Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- A survivor documentary site showing notability of HTC Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- HTC homepage Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- HTC Press Release Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, HTC article Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- AuthorsDen information page on HTC Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- GR Rocks Homepage with information about HTC Retrieved on 2008-28-07
- Male survivor calender showing HTC dates Retrieved on 2008-28-07
Sources
- ^ Healing Through Creativity, Forum Site, retrieved 2008-07-26
- ^ Interview between HTC Administrators George and Tracey and the Festival of Art radio program, http://www.healingthroughcreativity.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=701&pid=3597&st=0&#entry3597, 2007
- ^ HTC press release, http://www.healingthroughcreativity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108&Itemid=136, 2008-6-11
- ^ Pandys Info Page, http://pandys.org/intro.html, 2008, Paragraphy 2
- ^ AfterSilence Mission Page, http://aftersilence.org/mission.php, 2008, History of AfterSilence
- ^ HTC Homepage, www.healingthroughcreativity.org, Sponsours, Bottom of homepage
- ^ HTC donations page, www.healingthroughcreativity.org/donate, 2008
- ^ HTC, Forum and Chat room site, www.healingthroughcreativity.org/forum, 2008
- ^ HTC donations sections, www.healingthroughcreativity.org/donation, 2008