September 1st film event will kick off National Recovery Month, highlighting the unique challenges of a creative life and the universal hope of recovery from substance use and mental health conditions
Minneapolis, Detroit and Austin – Dissonance, Passenger Recovery and The SIMS Foundation, three nonprofits separated by thousands of miles but connected by the mission of supporting wellness in and through the arts, are coming together to host an exclusive online screening and discussion of the new documentary, The Creative High.
The award-winning film profiles nine artists in recovery from addiction who are transformed by creativity in the search for identity and freedom. It will be available to watch for free during a 48-hour screening period starting at 10 a.m. on Aug. 31. A live online panel event will then be held at 7 p.m. CDT on Sept. 1 to kick off National Recovery Month—a time annually to educate the public about substance use disorders and celebrate those who have overcome them.
WATCH: “The Creative High” Trailer
“Artists face unique challenges with substance use and mental health conditions. They also can find healing in their creative pursuits, and are uniquely skilled messengers of hope and the hard realities of these common, complex issues endemic to humanity,” said Jeremiah Gardner, board member for Minneapolis-based Dissonance.
“By bringing The Creative High to more people, we hope to reach other artists who can relate to the stories and also the broader public that enjoys music and art of all kinds,” said Detroit-based Passenger Recovery founder Christopher Tait, himself an artist in recovery who performs with the band Electric 6.
“Addiction and mental health conditions are common but complex, often misunderstood and stigmatized. The Creative High is a way to shed additional light on not only the problems but the help and solutions available – the promise and possibility of recovery,” said Patsy Dolan Bouressa, therapist and executive director of Austin, Texas-based The SIMS Foundation.
Created by director Adriana Marchione and producer Dianne Griffin, two artists in recovery who live in San Francisco, The Creative High features artists Wes Geer (KORN and Rock to Recovery), Peter Griggs (U-Phoria), Luis Canales (Strobe), Lessa Clark, Brandon Michael Randle (Dopeless), Ralph Spight, Joan Osato, Kathy Page and Jason Bernhardt.
"We're thrilled to have Passenger Recovery, The SIMS Foundation and Dissonance host a screening of The Creative High, and happy to be part of this growing national movement supporting recovery and mental health in and through the arts,” Marchione said.
“It means a lot for us to do a screening during National Recovery Month and to bring these powerful artist stories to people throughout the country,” added Griffin.
Dissonance Board Chair and Co-founder Sarah Souder Johnson, a therapist, will facilitate the Sept. 1 discussion with the filmmakers as well as artist subjects Griggs, who started Mascara - the premiere sober drag show in San Francisco, and Geer, who played guitar with KORN and founded Rock to Recovery to help people heal and transform through the experience of writing, playing and performing music. The panel also will answer questions from audience members.
For more information, to register, and to participate, visit the event website.
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About Dissonance
Dissonance is a nonprofit arts, mental health, recovery support, and advocacy organization. Run by a volunteer board of directors and based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., Dissonance promotes wellbeing by facilitating conversation, community and connection among artists, industry professionals, educators, healthcare providers and fans. Dissonance produces events, provides resources, creates safe spaces for healthy community and mutual aid, shares insightful and inspiring stories of lived experiences, and works to shape education and business practices to support mental health, addiction recovery and compassion in the arts. Through its efforts to foster a healthier dialogue and environment in and through the arts community, Dissonance aims to support, sustain and celebrate creativity and, by extension, advance public advocacy and smash social stigmas around these topics. Learn more at www.Dissonance.org.
About Passenger Recovery
Passenger is a recovery support system based in Detroit, Michigan. Our ambition is to make free resources more accessible to those navigating the daily anxieties that accompany traveling or touring in recovery, and to support all pathways to recovery with our local community. Whether it's transportation to a meeting, a safe space beyond the green room, or our Compass interactive meeting database, we want you to know you're not alone. Passenger can help. Learn more at PassengerRecovery.com.
About The SIMS Foundation
The SIMS Foundation provides mental health and substance use recovery services and supports for musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members. Through education, community partnerships, and accessible managed care, SIMS seeks to destigmatize and reduce mental health and substance use issues, while supporting and enhancing the wellbeing of the music community at large. Learn more at SIMSfoundation.org.
