Who We Are

The Creative Collaboratory was born of long-standing collaborations, research relationships and work history where partnerships between research and arts-based practice (including OT and community practices) were evolved while working with diverse groups and leveraging arts-based approaches. These projects included people experiencing a range of challenges – e.g., mental health and addictions concerns, housing precarity, poverty, young parenthood, child custody loss, social isolation, etc. We found dynamic solutions for responding to these challenging issues. These extraordinary problems need extraordinary approaches to address  them that disrupt the status quo. It might seem scary, it might seem impossible, but it is always exciting – and surprisingly do-able.

Collectively we have over 30 years of experience of integrating the arts in healthcare, research and education. We’ve all dealt with highly complex health and social problems, and worked in collaboration with community members to co-create and find solutions through the arts. Whether co-producing films, mounting art exhibitions, developing music albums, or creating inspiring spaces/environments in which to create together, we are committed to finding ways to offer hope and resilience, and opportunities to thrive in a dystopian world….