Art therapy event held for Clinton youth
Special to The Clinton Courier
The Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church in Clinton became a haven for healing and expression on June 28 as the S.A.F.E. S.P.A.C.E. TheaterTherapyFoundation hosted an art therapy event. Focused on mental wellness through creative expression, the event featured therapeutic art activities, an emotional theater performance, and a thought-provoking discussion panel.
The foundation’s name, S.A.F.E. S.P.A.C.E., stands for Supportive-Accepting-Fearless-Empowering_Sharing -Progress-Awareness-Community-Empathy. It is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to fostering mental health awareness and healing through theater and arts. At its core, the program is inspired by the Kwanzaa principle of Ujamaa, meaning “cooperative economics,” emphasizing shared responsibility, community support and collective progress.
The highlight of the afternoon was an art therapy session led by Tenyeka Pringle Gibson, a seasoned art therapy guide, who led attendees in a hands-on emotional expression exercise, painting their feelings onto canvas. The activity helped participants visualize their inner experiences, creating an avenue for discussion and reflection.
Gibson also served as a panelist in the event’s key dialogue segment, discussing the emotional impact of the theater mental health skit Coloring the Pain. The short play explores themes of trauma, emotional suppression and resilience within families and communities.
Joining her on the panel was Fredniki White, clinical director at Mississippi Families for Kids, who provided insight into the psychological importance of creative outlets in mental health treatment. Together, the two experts engaged guests in an open conversation about coping strategies, emotional literacy and destigmatizing mental health issues.
Vicksburg-based visual artists Annika and Johnathan Scott also shared their journey of becoming professional artists. Their story, rooted in personal healing, creativity and commitment to community, resonated with attendees and reinforced the event’s message that art is not just an aesthetic endeavor, but also can be a powerful path to self-discovery and recovery.
The art therapy event is part of a larger series of S.A.F.E. S.P.A.C.E. events scheduled throughout the year, each uniquely designed to blend artistic practice with mental health awareness.
Future events will include additional theater performances and events. Two upcoming events are planned at the Medgar Evers Library in Jackson, including MOM’s Mental “Blooming Within” on July 26, a session created to support the full mental, emotional and financial well-being of women navigating the layered experience of motherhood, and DAD’s “DadStrong” on August 2, a discussion on mental health and wellness for dads. Both events will begin at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, contact founder Felicia Brookins at Info@SafeSpaceTheaterTherapyFoundation.org.
