what
flame ascending is a multimedia art studio and gathering place offering:
- one-on-one art courses and skill-building for individuals in need
- a host spot for a variety of peer support group meetings
- a host spot for art workshops open to the general public
who
clients & customers
our individuals in need program participants are offered:
- pay-what-you-can (or free) one-on-one art courses. they are matched with skilled peer counselor trained instructors
- access to peer support groups hosted onsite
- access to public art workshops offered onsite
individuals in-need program participation is offered to anyone who has been recommended to us through our network of social service associates, matching our capability and capacity.
local community members are invited to take public art workshops, join appropriate peer support groups, and interact with our space in multiple ways. this might include: volunteering, networking, organising, fundraising, offering service, or getting more involved on the provider side of things.
providers
one-on-one art instructors work with individuals in need clients, are skilled in their areas of instruction, and trained in peer counselling professionally through our network of social service affiliates. after receiving peer counseling training, instructors have opportunity to train in other community certifications as available.
support group facilitators offer a variety of peer support group meetings, which are free to participants and open to anyone in the surrounding area fitting each group’s criteria. they are also professionally trained in peer counseling
workshop teachers offer open-admission group art classes. they have an opportunity to receive peer counseling training, though it’s not required.
why
healing, recovery, and building stability for a lot of people is a journey which requires three things:
- self-confidence and skill-building: leading to better self-sufficiency
- peer support: building understanding networks of safety and support for long-term resilience
- general community involvement: networking, feeling safer in society, advocating for needs to participate in larger groups, gaining a sense of place in society
creative practices and art have always been a map to the realization of these needs. matching our individuals in need clients with peer counselor trained instructors offers them skills, support, and progress through project work.
offering a home for peer counseling groups provides avenue to circles of understanding and ongoing support.
workshop participation with the larger community facilitates networking, mutual understanding, and experience-sharing within a society that may once have felt unsafe or inaccessible.
how
flame ascending was created with a scalable business plan: the distinct ability to start small and grow capacity, or scale back as required. because our plan is modular by design, each part can adjust to fit our needs, the needs of the community, and the limitation or abundance of available resources.
our goal is to grow and maintain a full capacity (time vs. space, and a roster of skilled providers being the major limiting factors of how much we can provide). after this, our goal is to bring our model to other communities wanting to offer similar resources and programming. if expansion is in the cards, we’re happy to consider that in time.
what we are not
we are not a group of therapists, nor do we provide therapy. we are not providing professional mental health or official social services to anyone. we are not equipped to offer medical support outside of basic first aid as required for classroom needs (or calling professional medical help, as consented to by our clients). we are not a referral service, though we maintain a community board for event fliers and business cards. we do not provide housing, food, outside employment, or casual space for walk-ins (all on-site activity is scheduled in advance, and limited to participants). we are not religiously or politically affiliated, nor do we demand “like-thinking” from our clients and providers—outside of each individual’s commitment to behave decently and respectfully to all on-site.
we believe we can reach more people in a supportive manner and provide ground for affective community exchange through mutual aid. we aim to cultivate healthy curiosity and peer education for all, leading to safer individuals within stronger communities.
when
we are currently in the early stages of building the business: connecting with our professional networks, fundraising, and searching for a site. next steps encompass finding a building we can work out of, and construction of the space.
where
we’re looking for affordable space in Berwick, Maine (Newichawannock, Abenaki territory) along the New Hampshire border, or other areas serving Maine and New Hampshire further South. a small warehouse or restaurant space could be a good match (the kitchen area would allow for kiln use, exhaust installment, and messy art cleanup). if you know real estate in the area or communally minded landlords, please drop a line