The Campfire Project, Project Rousseau, and the Workers Circle Team Up to Deliver Week-long Arts Programming, Legal Services to Newly Arrived Asylum-Seekers and Refugees
Programming culminated in a moving performance at the Five Angels Theatre on July 14. Photo: Jethro Waters.
(NEW YORK) – In response to urgent needs facing the thousands of newly-arrived migrants in New York City, The Campfire Project, in partnership with Project Rousseau and the Workers Circle, piloted a week-long workshop servicing migrants and asylum seekers with arts-based psycho-social support, complemented by legal assistance and preparation for their asylum cases.
Hosted at the Workers Circle’s headquarters in Manhattan, the pilot provided programming to 100 young people, ranging from 15-20 years of age, largely from West Africa, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Central America. By combining legal services with arts programming and other resources, the program provided holistic support to asylum-seekers and refugees as they navigate the challenges of displacement and build their new lives in New York City.
Over the past two years, hundreds of thousands of migrants have arrived in New York City. In addition to contending with the city’s lack of resources to effectively house and support them, as well as the legal challenges of the asylum seeking process, migrants also lack resources to deal with the mental health toll incurred by experiences of conflict, trauma, and displacement.
The Campfire Project was founded in 2017 by Jessica Hecht and Jenny Gertsen to promote arts-based wellness in refugee spaces and empower refugees to step into the spotlight, explore their creativity, and refocus on their humanity. They have completed 7 multilingual residencies at camps in Greece, Moldova and Uganda. This is their first NYC workshop. They provide participants with programming consisting of several elements, including dance, drama, writing, stilts, visual arts as well as traditional therapeutic engagement. All sessions culminate with a presentation. The Five Angels Theatre will host this year!
“My team and I, consisting of 22 members of the New York Theatre and Dance Community in collaboration with Dr. Cathy Raduns and Dr. Nisha Sajnani are thrilled to finally find our footing at home,” said Jessica Hecht, co-founder of The Campfire Project. “With my original teammates, actresses Maura Tierney and Katie Flahive, we have structured a program that will flourish on the incredible foundation Project Rousseau and The Workers Circle have been maintaining for years.”
Project Rousseau has been at the forefront of the response to the migrant crisis, offering full-scope, comprehensive immigration services to migrants. Throughout the week, Project Rousseau provided legal counsel to families who participated in the programming, and the organization regularly provides free full-scope legal representation as well as non-legal support to migrants.
In addition to providing the physical space in which this programming took place, the Workers Circle’s Brooklyn school contributed hygiene kits to distribute to the participants. The Workers Circle was founded by Yiddish-speaking immigrants at the turn of the 20th century to provide support to newly arriving immigrants. In more ways than one, this programming pays homage to the nearly 125 years of service the organization has dedicated to supporting immigrants in New York.
“The Workers Circle is honored to provide a safe space for this incredible programming at our offices. This week was a true testament to the power of partnership,” said Ann Toback, CEO of the Workers Circle. “For more than a century, we have supported immigrants with the services and resources they need to thrive, and we are proud to continue in that tradition by hosting this gathering.”
About The Campfire Project
The Campfire Project, founded in 2017 by Jessica Hecht and Jenny Gertsen, promotes arts-based wellness in refugee spaces and empowers refugees to step into the spotlight, explore their creativity and refocus on their humanity. Learn more at: campfire-project.org
About the Workers Circle
The Workers Circle is a national, secular, Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who came to the US fleeing autocracy and persecution, and seeking democratic freedoms and economic opportunities at the turn of the 20th century. That history drives our work for an inclusive democracy and human equality today. Our activism is rooted in 1,000 years of Yiddish culture and tradition. Through strategic social justice campaigns, vibrant Yiddish language classes, and interactive educational programs we power a multi-generational community of activists that is building “a better and more beautiful world for all.” Learn more at www.circle.org.
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