At InToto, we offer community-based arts programs that create consistent, safe spaces for people impacted by homelessness and poverty, veterans, and people recovering from mental illness.  We work with a talented team of teaching artists and facilitators that deliver arts programs across many disciplines that uniquely speak to our clients' experiences.  While InToto does not provide any form of therapy or clinical services, our work is inherently therapeutic, and our team is trained to deliver high quality services rooted in the principles of trauma-informed care.  Our classes take place in partnership with local community service providers - the Firehouse Shelter for men, Pathways Home shelter for women and children, Faith Chapel Care Center, The 1920 Club for people in recovery from mental illness, and the Birmingham Veterans Association  - reaching people where they are already receiving services.  InToto is deeply ingrained in the culture of each organization where we work, helping to build an environment that accepts and values our participants no matter what they're going through or how they show up each day.
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Visual Arts
Visual art is a powerful medium for expression and healing, and it is a wonderful tool to support and empower individuals facing difficulties in life.  InToto participants are invited to participate in many forms of visual art making including drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, photographic processes, printing, and botanical arts.  For those experiencing hardships, creating art can offer a means of self-expression and a way to communicate feelings and experiences that may be difficult to put into words.  This can be particularly therapeutic for individuals dealing with trauma or grief.   Not only do our visual arts classes teach new skills and promote wellbeing through community, but our artists are also offered an opportunity to earn income from the sales of their artwork at InToto’s annual showcases through an 80% commission.  Many of our participants discover talents they have never before explored through InToto and take pride in their newfound identities as artists.  We have seen art give purpose and inspire so much hope. 

 

Creative Writing

We have found that one of the most powerful things you can do when seeking a way through trauma or pain is to pick up a pen.  Creative writing can be an immensely therapeutic and empowering outlet for individuals experiencing hardships.  Whether someone is facing personal challenges, emotional difficulties, or societal issues, creative writing provides a means of self-expression, catharsis, and personal growth.  InToto’s participating artists are encouraged to read poetry together, share their thoughts about the writing, and respond in writing to prompts based on the selected reading.  Creative writing and storytelling give people the chance to put words to experiences that may have been unheard or overlooked for years. Whether through journaling, poetry, or collaborative story circles, participants build literacy and confidence as they share their voices and discover common ground with one another. These moments of reflection and connection remind people that their stories matter.   Participants are also encouraged to prepare writings to read at our annual showcases, where they are given a platform to share their experiences to our larger community.  This experience is empowering for our artists as it allows them to reclaim their voices and assert their presence, which is especially important for those who have faced challenges or hardships that have made you feel silenced.​

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Music

Music brings people together in joyful, collaborative ways. Group drumming and rhythm exercises, improvisational sounds, learning songs together, and collaborative songwriting sessions allow participants to release stress, experiment with rhythm, and find their own creative spark.  Making music as a group helps build listening skills, emotional expression, and the trust that comes from creating something in community.  Music is a tool for healing, presence, and community-building.  Rooted in trauma-informed practice, our sessions are welcoming to all skill levels and emphasize rhythm, listening, and play. Music has a unique way of bypassing barriers that words alone can’t reach. It helps lower stress, regulate emotions, and strengthen social bonds, which is vital for people navigating severe hardship.  Our facilitators create a safe, encouraging space where participants can experiment without fear of judgment, tapping into creativity as a path toward stability and resilience.  For many, making music together is a powerful reminder that they are not alone, that their voice matters, and that harmony — both literal and figurative — is always possible.

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Movement

Movement opens the door for people to reconnect with their bodies in gentle, supportive ways.  Simple stretching, guided movement exercises, and creative movement games encourage flexibility and physical well-being, while also reducing anxiety and tension. For many, movement is a safe way to build confidence and a sense of presence in the moment.  InToto’s Creative Movement and Yoga classes improve wellbeing through physicality and connection with self and others.  Our classes are flexible and designed with modifications to cater to those of all physical abilities.  We have seen that movement has a profound impact on an individual's overall well-being, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional aspects of our health.  In our Creative Movement classes, we guide participants in using their bodies as a unique means of expression and play.   Through movement, we can convey emotions and feelings that are often difficult to describe with words, and we can begin to release trauma that remains stored in our bodies after stressful or overwhelming experiences.  Participants are able to experience a reclaimed sense of agency and control over their bodies and experience.  These classes offer a particularly impactful way of centering and healing, building connection with peers and reducing feelings of isolation. 

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“It's about becoming safe to feel what you feel.  When you're traumatized you're afraid of what you're feeling, because your feeling is always terror, or fear or helplessness.  I think these body-based techniques help you to feel what's happening in your body, and to breathe into it and not run away from it.  So you learn to befriend your experience."  --Bessel Van Der Kolk

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Improv Theater

Improv theater brings laughter, spontaneity, and teamwork to our spaces. Through group games, role-play, and performance-based exercises, participants practice staying open, taking risks, and responding to life’s unexpected moments. Improv helps people tap into resilience, build social skills, and experience the healing power of shared laughter.  Improvisational theater is inherently fun and lighthearted and keeps us in the present moment, which can provide a much needed break from the stress and challenges of everyday life.  Participants are able to explore and express their emotions in a safe and supportive environment, which is particularly therapeutic for those dealing with trauma, grief, or other challenges.   This art form also provides an opportunity for intimate social interaction which builds community within the organizations we serve and fosters  empathy and understanding of others’ perspectives and experiences.  Oftentimes, our improv classes lead us into very humorous moments, which helps to release pent up emotion and give us a sense of joy and purpose, even in the midst of difficult times.