Stories and events: healing through the arts
Each of these projects is more than a performance. They are shared heartbeats. Through music, movement, and storytelling, we create space for voices that have been silenced, grief that needs holding, and hope that longs to be heard.
You are not alone. Whether in silence or in song, we heal together.
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For questions or to host an event, please email us at healingbellscontact@gmail.com
Healing Bells: a global sound of solidarity
What began as a single composition turned into a worldwide movement of connection and care. On May 21, 2020—UNESCO’s Day of Cultural Diversity, Development, and Dialogue—carillonists around the globe rang Healing Bells, uniting communities through sound at a time of isolation and uncertainty.
This signature work resonates across borders and traumas, offering a space where listeners can feel held, remembered, and connected.
Whether heard from a bell tower or experienced in a communal gathering, Healing Bells invites us all into a moment of collective healing.
Ni une más: turning survival into story
In this powerful fusion of music, theatre, and dance, survivors of domestic and sexual violence reclaim their narratives through the healing power of the arts. Ni une más (Not One More) is more than a performance, it’s a bold declaration of resilience and transformation.
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Through a supportive artistic community, voices once silenced rise in unison, flipping oppressive scripts and opening pathways to healing. Every movement, every note, every word affirms a simple truth: no one should walk this journey alone.
Colectiva por Andrea: sanarte—healing together, across borders
There’s no manual for healing from trauma—but there is wisdom in community. Colectiva por Andrea: sanarte brings together ten healing arts centers from Puerto Rico to Michigan, uniting diverse cultural practices and lived experiences to illuminate the many ways we heal.
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Together, this collective will launch an open-access e-Handbook for Survivors and a short documentary—offering guidance shaped by real stories of recovery and rooted in deep cultural wisdom.
Landscapes of Crisis in Venezuela: voices that won’t be silenced
This emotional and deeply human(e) concert blends chamber music with uncensored documentary poetry, illuminating the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Through powerful performances and reflections, Landscapes of Crisis in Venezuela honors stories of people and land suffering forced migration, environmental devastation, and cultural displacement caused by authoritarian regimes.
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In this triptych, each word and note becomes a form of resistance, remembrance, and healing—offering dignity to those whose truths demand to be heard.
Photo credit: Yaikel Dorta
Mother of Exiles: songs of courage and displacement
A stirring oratorio musical hybrid, Mother of Exiles gives voice to the harrowing journeys of those forced to leave their homelands in search of safety. These powerful stories of migration—rooted in love, loss, and the human will to survive—confront unjust U.S. immigration policies with raw honesty and deep compassion.
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The chorus interrogates the Mother of Exiles–the Statue of Liberty–for promising to welcome the tired and poor, and instead sending them away to their peril.
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Through music and testimony, this work elevates the resilience of displaced people and reminds us that no border can contain the strength of the human spirit. We listen, we witness, and we stand together.
Nurturing Healing Love: a mother’s journey through loss
After unimaginable tragedy, a mother begins to heal—not with answers, but with love. Nurturing Healing Love traces her path after losing her 6-year-old son at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he died trying to protect his teacher.
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Through memory, vulnerability, and the quiet power of storytelling, this project invites us into the sacred space of grief and transformation. It is a tribute not just to one child, but to the enduring force of love in the face of unspeakable loss. No one should carry such pain alone.
Belonging:
a call to care for all
When stories of prejudice are met with deep listening and music, healing can begin. In Belonging: A Call to Care for All, twelve brave people share their lived experiences with prejudice, and find strength in knowing they are heard and validated through musical co-creation.
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Through collective storytelling, this project fosters empathy, connection, and a renewed sense of community. It’s a call to listen with care—and to help build a world where everyone truly belongs.
Photo credit: Starlet Lee
Far from My Bed: when conflict feels distant—but isn’t
In a time when political violence displaces millions, Far from My Bed uses music and storytelling to connect us with the human impact of war. Named after the expression for something that feels distant and unrelated, this project challenges emotional distance by revealing how faraway conflicts still affect us all.
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Led by Esther Schopman, Kia Kalhori, and Azarnoush Khoddami, the film blends real stories of displacement with haunting melodies, urging empathy and awareness through art. Even if it’s far from your bed, it’s not far from your world.
Compose for Change: Healing Arts–education for empowerment
Compose for Change: Healing Arts is a class series that invites participants to explore personal growth, social awareness, and creative expression in a guided and empowering space.
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Through storytelling, research, and interviews, each person chooses a social issue that matters to them and learns to develop a strong and authentic voice. As they learn about the five stages of trauma and healing, they gain tools to reflect, connect, and express.
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The journey ends with a powerful artistic creation such as music, writing, movement, or visual work that speaks to their chosen issue. It is where learning becomes transformation and expression becomes advocacy.
