ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
For over a decade, The Goodness Tour has brought their self taught art therapy modalities of painting, music, and film worldwide. “Art is Life,” interweaves on-site footage from Goodness Tours in Jordan, Ukraine, Cuba, and the Bahamas with global expert interviews, exploring the science and techniques behind how Art can transform the Mind.

SYNOPSIS
ART IS LIFE weaves pivotal, transformative moments in the decade-long history of The Goodness Tour and their boots-on-the-ground, naturally-formed art therapy techniques, with interviews of well-known and accomplished artists, scientists, and therapists. We will include video from Tours we have participated in N. America, Bahamas, Ukraine/Poland, Cuba and more. We wish to merge the heart-centered real-world footage from past Goodness Tours, which exemplifies techniques initiated from intuition without realizing the science or technical significance, with insight from clinicians and researchers; providing background and scientific data supporting the effectiveness of Expressive Arts Therapies. Our goal is to illuminate the unique practice and success of these modalities, particularly with trauma and crisis survivors.

We are gathering a diverse group of notable scientist, therapists & artists to interview. Included are Dr. Juliet L. King, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, LMHC Art Therapy & Neuroscience Associate Professor of Art Therapy; The George Washington University, Adjunct Associate Professor Neurology; IU School of Medicine. She is the author of a very impactful book,: Art Therapy, Trauma, and Neuroscience: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives, and is at the forefront of bridging the gap between neuroscience and art therapy. Renowned experts like Stephen K. Levine, Ph.D., who is the Chair of Philosophy and Poetics in the Arts, Health and Society Division of the European Graduate School. Dr. Chez Leeby, a distinguished family therapist with extensive training and experience in trauma resolution, grief recovery, and soul healing. Melinda Ashley Meyer, Ph.D., a bioenergetics-therapist at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies and the Director and Co-founder of the Norwegian Institute for Expressive Art and Communication. Dr. Robert Graessle, former ER doctor and founder of Basecamp Recovery Center, a fully integrated addiction treatment center. We are also connected to many acclaimed celebrity Artists and Activists, including platinum selling, multiple Grammy winner Jason Mraz and minister, author, Michael Bernard Beckwith.

In addition, The Goodness Tour is planning a 10th anniversary Tour in Boston during the fall, which we will film and include in the documentary. We also seek to legally change the US definition of “First Responder” to include work like ours in the Expressive Arts Therapy field. We will be using the film to reach out to politicians and policymakers to see if they would get behind this cause.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Short

DIRECTOR Jeremiah A. Verdecias
SCREENWRITER Benjamin Swatez
PRODUCER Lisa McCarthy
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Jeremiah A. Verdecias
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Luc Reynaud
IMPACT PRODUCER Jayson Jackson

WEBSITE TheGoodnessTour.org

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