Red Hot Team Building for Resilient Relationships

Project Fire team and participants recently recognized at First Friday Club their contribution to building safe and peaceful communities

Project Fire is not only doing amazing work when it comes to trauma recovery, but it is - at its fiery core - baseline cool group event. The organization which houses Project Fire, Firebird Community Arts, was started in 2014/15 by glass artist Pearl Dick and clinical psychologist Bradley Stolbach after a mutual friend suggested they meet. The friend, a local doctor who was taking one-on-one lessons from Dick, found her time in the studio completely engulfing and, as a result, a way to be fully present and gain new perspective. 

The process of glass blowing involves maneuvering a blowpipe into a furnace and gathering molten glass on one end. It’s thrilling. One must be hyper-vigilant when working as the molten glass is typically over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. One then folds in desired colors and shapes the glass into the their design of choice by going back and forth between blowing on one end of the pipe and shaping the piece on the other.

Project Fire, with the help of Healing Hurt People, reaches out to youth affected by gun violence and offers in-depth training in glassblowing, as well as, mentoring, employment, leadership opportunities, trauma psychoeducation, case management, and medical treatment. The program is unbelievably comprehensive and committed. The individuals in the program build their training until they are ready to teach and lead clients like us in the art of glassblowing and are able to turn the art into a job. Like these young lives forged in the heat of crisis, so art formed. It’s more than a metaphor for the Project Fire participants - it's how lives are being transformed. 

The whole crew with our fearless leaders

My family and I recently booked a group event at Firebird Community Arts and the Project Fire mentors and the experience was awesome. We seven siblings and their 23 offspring have had a crisis or two. Not only was it amazing to learn about the process and get to try our hands at it, but it required us to work together both with our instructors and with one another. Bonding while handling scalding hot glass - not your typical family or corporate outing. 

Collaborative and trust base art creation

Dick explains that that is one of the reasons glassblowing works so well as a therapeutic activity. People who might not typically engage in traditional group therapy are able to depend on one another and share stories, ideas, and thoughts while working together to safely create a piece of art. 

Our instructors made the session fun for everyone in our group ranging from age 3 to 56 and shared their music, talked about other art they were involved with, and what their plans are for the future. Outside of the building a safe, healing, and engaging space for those recovering from violence, Dick explains that the interactions between the clients and the youths are one of the great benefits. The space allows people who may not typically meet to bond over a shared activity. There’s time and space to get to know a little about one another, exchange stories, and learn the very basics of a new skill. 

Adding custom colors

Project Fire’s Sessions are a great group, family and corporate team building event to spend quality time gaining experience and unique insight into the power of relationship and resilience. You can check out more of what Project Fire is all about on their website (https://www.firebirdcommunityarts.org/what-we-do/project-fire) or email info@firebirdcommunityarts.com for more details on a truly unique group experience.