COLLECTIVE SELF CINEMA // A HERONRY FILM PROJECT

FULL PROGRAMMING OVERVIEW

About The Collective Self Cinema Series

Explore feelings and experiences through this Collective Self Cinema series. Bridging the Adult-Child relationship through film, Collective Self Cinema aims to help young and grown-up humans understand themselves and each other better, to enhance a felt sense of connectivity and love.

Register to participate in one of the learning and expressive arts workshops with Care-O-Van and Tearwater T, and enjoy the experience of watching a movie at the Dennos Museum Center, to then take a deeper dive into the therapeutic themes presented within each film by attending your preferred workshop intended to nurture an individual's self awareness, creative expression, and sense of wonderment. In addition, take home guided learning activities and supportive resources presented in both workshops.

The expressive arts workshop is designed to invite all ages to creatively explore and create, as youth, young adults and adults can chose to participate in the expressive arts workshop.

The learning workshop is for young adults and adults only, with content carefully crafted to support the exploration of select focal themes presented within each film, in order to invite adults, young adults, and those who care for children, to turn inwards to gain insight and self connection, learn skills that will help attune to and understand the needs of a developing child, as well as learn to support the health of those doing this sacred work of raising children by empowering a sense of understanding and being in relationship one's self and others.

This programming is made possible through a partnership between The Dennos Museum Center and Care-O-Van, and is the kind of programming we don't usually see or have the opportunity to experience in our small No Mi area. Take the opportunity to be a part of these super special events! Here's your chance to support a community program that fosters connection, creates a space to address the inherent stress and struggles of raising children, and invests in the health, education, and safety of children and families to enhance the overall health of our community!

Programming Focal Themes Per Event

Inside Out | All Feelings Are Valuable
Encanto | All of YOU is a Gift
Coco | The Both/And of Loss + Connection
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Leading With Love

Clarifying FAQS:

1. You do not have to watch the movie at Dennos, you can buy tickets just for post-screening workshops if you have already seen the movie recently, prefer to watch the film in the comfort of your own home, and/or don’t have time to fit both the movie and workshops into your day. Both adult and youth workshops focus on themes in the movie, so it is beneficial and important to have watched the movie recently.

2. The expressive workshop is designed for all ages, for youth, young adults, and adults. Adults and young adults can choose if they want to attend the learning or expressive art workshop. The learning workshop however, is only for adults and young adults.

3. This program is for educators, youth mentors, and those who work closely with kids too! We'd love for you to participate in this programming too! You don't have to have children or register your children to join us!

4. Tickets are required to reserve your spot to participate, as there is limited space available! At least 1 adult registration to participate in either the learning or expressive art workshop per family is required, to enable a child/children of the same family to participate in the expressive arts workshop. The program places emphasis on the importance and necessity of adult participation in their own learning, growing, creative exploration, and health!

5. As an adult or young adult, if you desire to dig into the creative supplies and activities, and/or support and witness your kid(s) do so, please register for the expressive arts workshop. If you desire to learn more about the themes and characters in the film and how they can relate to your own experiences, or can be applied to parenting/teaching strategies with the aim to connect more deeply with the children you care for, please register for the learning workshop.

6. There will be written descriptions about the expressive art activities, and handouts from the learning workshop that apply and highlight themes in each film, that can be resources to take home no matter which workshop you select to participate in and whether or not you have kids that are attending the arts workshop. The art stations that pair with these movies are simple enough to introduce to your own kids at home or in school/childcare settings.

7. This programming is being offered to the community with the commitment of making it accessible to all. Tickets are pay what you can to ensure all can access and participate in this event who are interested and reserve their spot to attend.

Who is this for:

Any young to grown-up human seeking connection
Elementary through Middle School aged youth, *AND* these films are ageless, all ages can benefit from creative and playful expression and exploration!
Parents, co-parents, extended family, supporting caregivers, educators, and professionals who care for a child of any age
Caregiver(s)/Parent(s) who desire to lead with intention and purposeful response when guiding and parenting
Caregiver(s)/Parent(s) who are committed to taking accountability for their own intention, impact, and internal experience

What grown-ups will walk away with:

An overview of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how IFS concepts connect with the themes presented within each film
How to use the themes, characters, and messages shared within each film, to build a relatable and effective way to communicate and connect with a child of any age
Developmentally informed scripts and strategies for how to identify, make sense of, and respond to complex emotions by using each film as a bridge to communicate and relate more effectively
New ways to turn inward with a purpose to increase awareness of one’s internal experience, build reflective capacity, and gain self insight in order to show up in relationships with one’s self, children, and others with curiosity, kindness, consent, compassion, and connection.

What youth will walk away with:

A selection of hands-on art making experiences correlated with each film, intentionally highlighting playful and courageous, creative expression
A creative exploration of one’s self, emotions, and experience in relation with the themes presented in each film
Identity, sensory and neuro-affirming experiences
An open conversation about each film, reflecting on individual take-aways and overarching themes in order to nurture self awareness and expression
New ways and an enhanced capacity to identify emotions and express feelings, along with an increased awareness of and connection with self and others

Learning workshops will be facilitated by:

Meg Mertaugh-Graber, LMSW - Clinical, MSW, M.Ed

Meg is a trauma sensitive, developmentally informed, neuro-affirming and Internal Family Systems trained clinical mental health therapist. Specialized in facilitating nature-based, expressive arts, experiential and animal-assisted therapeutic services for over a decade, Meg founded Care-O-Van, a private practice through which she works with children, adolescents, adults, families, educators, and care-givers. Meg’s areas of interest and experience include: complex, chronic and intergenerational trauma, postpartum and parenting, caregiver/child relationships, youth development, attachment, issues related to sexual trauma, neglect, abuse and incest, autism+ neurodivergence, gender and sexual identity and expression, LGBTQIA+, grief and loss, self worth, body worth, and embodied resilience. A mama of elementary age twins, bonus mama of a daughter now grown adult, partner, caregiver of many fur-wool-feather beings large and small, and land steward, Meg honors her greatest teachers as her children, animals, and her own reflective therapeutic work.

Expressive arts, social-emotional workshops will be facilitated by:

Tracy Smedes-Hepler

Tracy is a former teacher and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with 13 years experience as a preschool teacher at the Leelanau Children’s Center. She has been a mother and nanny for over 22 years! Her love of the arts and creativity inspired her to launch an arts exploration business, Tearwater T, which aims to provide art programming to local children. After a successful first summer, she is excited to re-engage with the youth in her community this school year as a creativity mentor and process-arts teacher at OAB.

REVIEW

Films By Date

Inside Out | Saturday, October 12, 2024
Encanto | Saturday, November 16, 2024
Coco | Saturday, December 14, 2024
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Saturday, January 11, 2025

Programming Focal Themes Per Event

Inside Out | All Feelings Are Valuable
Encanto | All of YOU is a Gift
Coco | The Both/And of Loss + Connection
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Leading With Love

Schedule Day of Event

1-3 // Film screening in Dutmers Theater (rated PG; run time 1h 35mins)

3:00-4:00 // Post-screening workshops in Janis Community Room & Dutmers Theater

4-4:30 // Attendee wrap-up + departures

Photos by Disney/Pixar & Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.

© Disney Pictures

© Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.