The massive Camp Fire broke out in Northern California's Butte County in 2018, scorching the landscape, killing 86 people in the town of Paradise, and destroying countless homes and habitat.
At its peak, the fire was the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history, spreading at the speed of 80 football fields per minute, scorching the hearts and minds of the people who lived there, especially children.
That's why the Butte County Office of Education brought trauma-informed arts educators to schools to help students cope with fear, grief, and loss. Buildings can be repaired much more quickly than the volatile emotions of children scarred by tragedy. Long after the flames were extinguished, the heightened fragility that often follows trauma remained.
“Those uprooted from paradise suffered severe trauma, fled for their lives, lost their homes, and lived in displacement,” said Jennifer Spangler, Arts Education Coordinator for the Butte County Office of Education. “This county is tied to a lot of traumatic trauma, so it makes sense that we would want to create something that directly addresses this issue.”
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Years after the conflagration, many residents are still recovering from the aftermath. For example, the county has weathered significant demographic changes that have unsettled the community, such as a surge in homelessness following the fires. All of this came on the heels of the 2017 Auroville Dam evacuation and long-standing problems of poverty, drug addiction, and unemployment, further exacerbating the sense of trauma.
“Butte County already had the highest Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) scores in the state,” Spangler said. “We are in an economic recession, with a large number of foster children, unstable home lives and drugs. The fires are just another layer, and the coronavirus is adding another layer on top. I think so.”
Chris Murphy is an educational artist who has worked with children in Paradise public schools and juvenile detention schools. He believes theater is a type of restorative practice, helping students heal from their wounds in a safe space.
Murphy, an actor best known for voicing the role of Murray in Sony's PlayStation video game series “Sly Cooper,” said, “The creative process occurs on a visceral level, so it's hard to be influenced by trauma.” “Art education is very effective for students who are “All art is fundamentally a means of storytelling, and as humans, we are deeply wired to tell stories, both as participants and observers. Observing and laughing at each other's performances. This creates bonds of mutual respect and trust within the group. Over time, the environment takes on a more relaxed and safe quality.”
Another teaching artist, Kathy Nurse, specializes in teaching drumming as part of a social-emotional learning curriculum that helps students find solace in the instinctive call-and-response rhythms of drum circles.
“Trauma is powerful and has to do with something that happened in the past,” said Naas, a drummer who now performs with Congolese and samba groups based in Chico. “Taiko drumming takes place in the present moment, and it overloads the brain to the point where it cannot overcome fear, pain, and sadness.”
Indeed, the use of trauma-informed art techniques goes beyond natural disasters. Many arts advocates believe that these techniques can help children cope with a myriad of stressors.
“Now more than ever, we are continuing this cycle of traumatic events,” he said, modeling the Butte plan after a similar plan in Sonoma County after the devastating Tubbs Fire in 2017. Spangler said.
Experts warn that children who have experienced trauma can have many aspects of their lives negatively affected. They may have social difficulties in school, lower grades, and may be suspended or expelled from school. They may even become involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice system.
“People who have been affected by trauma, particularly ongoing harmful stressors such as home environments such as addiction, neglect, and abuse, develop brain chemistry that is detrimental to cognitive function…essentially destroying the brain. It locks you into a fight-flight-freeze cycle,” Murphy said. “Understanding what trauma-affected students are going through, I use theater arts to break that cycle.”
Experts say delayed reactions are normal when dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Some children express their suffering easily, while others try to hide it.
As public health officials seek ways to address the mental health crisis among young people in the wake of the pandemic, the healing power of the arts has been widely highlighted.
“Music can make you feel better in a matter of seconds,” said Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, at an arts summit hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). “As a physician over the years, I have prescribed many medications. Few that I have ever seen have such a phenomenal and instantaneous effect.”
According to Nurse, playing the drums can help increase empathy. Because drumming not only allows for self-expression, but also encourages listening to others and a sense of a rotating ensemble.
“Drumming is a powerful activity that creates community,” says Nurse. “What I notice when playing drums with kids is that students are excited, motivated, and fully engaged from the get-go. They reach for the rhythm and immediately begin to explore the drums.”
Experts say art and music can foster an intuitive sense of belonging and help combat the feeling of isolation that often follows a tragic event. This may also provide some relief to those battling the aftershocks of the pandemic.
“The truth is that we are all dealing with challenges related to the pandemic and learning loss, and we know that the arts, social-emotional learning and engagement can create a healing environment. ,” said Peggy Burt, a statewide arts education consultant based in New York state. Los Angeles. “Children need healing to develop community and develop a sense of belonging and readiness to learn.”
Butte County families know this in their bones. Trauma can fester long after the emergency has passed, after the headlines and the fuss. Turning tragedy into art may be one way to heal.
“I've seen many times in this classroom that the kids are quiet, calm and focused,” Spangler said. “We see the great impact the arts have on children every day.”
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