Agents & Assets

October- November, 2006: LAPD’s national residency program on drug policy and drug policy reform took place in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Six LAPD’ers worked with 8 participants from Project HOME men’s and women’s recovery programs in North Philadelphia, hosted by Art Sanctuary. The group traveled the performance to The Baltimore Theater Project.

Partners: People’s Emergency Center (P.E.C.) and Project H.O.M.E.

Read the Philadelphia Daily News Story

Andre Hart, case manager and himself a graduate of the mens’s recovery program said that one of the biggest obstacles to recovery is the being able to forgive yourself for all the harm you’ve done to yourself and your community as a drug user and/or dealer. He went on to say that working on Agents & Assets made clear to all that some of the irresponsibility belonged to the social policy makers. And so the project made it easier, for participants to forgive themselves and to begin to reverse the cycle of hurt.

Lorene Cary, author and founder of Art Sanctuary wrote to LAPD: We are teasing out some of the meaning of the art process you accomplished with the actors from Project H.O.M.E., and with the audiences. We witnessed, from a distance, the exquisite care and attention you gave to the actors and to the many meanings of the play. That, after all, has been a deep teaching to our entire community, and a confirmation of what we know about art in community, but rarely see in action so total and committed and complete. With thanks and praise, Lorene.