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BREAKING OUR
SILENCE

STORYTELLING FOR MENTAL HEALTH
APRIL - MAY 2022

“Breaking Our Silence” was a month-long series of events in Spring 2022 that looked to the power of film, theater, dance, literature, music, poetry, and other forms of creative expression to help lift the shroud of secrecy around mental illness. 
 
Timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, the series was organized by Story House Ithaca and sponsored by The Sophie Fund, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Finger Lakes, and the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.

Screenings, workshops, performances, and more!

“Breaking Our Silence” included a May 15, 2022 screening at Cinemapolis of the award-winning documentary Bedlam, movement workshops on managing anxiety and grief, an open-mic storytelling event featuring master storyteller Regi Carpenter, a virtual panel at the Spring Writes Literary Festival on writing about mental illness, a presentation and volunteer opportunity with the Prisoner Express program, Civic Ensemble ReEntry Theatre Program's production of Delia Divided, and more. The series culminated on Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in a community celebration at Ithaca High School’s Kulp Auditorium. 

Featured events

  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Sep 13
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Sep 13, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • Presentation Night
    Presentation Night
    Tue, Sep 15
    Liquid State Brewery
    Sep 15, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Liquid State Brewery, 620 W Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Celebrate the joy of learning at this evening of short talks by non-experts (and there's beer!)
  • The Writers' Room
    The Writers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Sep 16
    Tompkins County Public Library
    Sep 16, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Work on your project in the company of fellow writers
  • Memoir Kickstart
    Memoir Kickstart
    Thu, Sep 17
    Buffalo Street Books
    Sep 17, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Buffalo Street Books, 215 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Learn how to get your memoir started!
  • The Playground
    The Playground
    Thu, Sep 24
    Community School of Music and Arts
    Sep 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Community School of Music and Arts, 330 E State St, Ithaca, NY 14850
    Calling artists of all kinds, come try out your ideas in a low-risk, playful setting!
  • The Story Salon
    The Story Salon
    Sat, Sep 26
    First Baptist Church
    Sep 26, 2026, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
    First Baptist Church, 309 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Learn to tell your personal story in this workshop led by award-winning storyteller Regi Carpenter.
  • IMAGINE!
    IMAGINE!
    Fri, Oct 02
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Oct 02, 2026, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850
    Join journalist & memoirist Raza Rumi, writer & filmmaker Austin Bunn, and theater arts producer Emily Jackson in this lively conversation about the power of imagination as a public good
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Oct 04
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Oct 04, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Oct 18
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Oct 18
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Oct 18, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Nov 15
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Nov 15, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • Heart-Shaped Tin book discussion
    Heart-Shaped Tin book discussion
    Sat, Nov 21
    Tompkins County Public Library
    Nov 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
    Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Take part in a discussion of "The Heart Shaped Tin: Love, Loss and Kitchen Objects," by Bee Wilson
  • Healthcare at the Margins
    Healthcare at the Margins
    Thu, Sep 10
    The Nocturnal Café
    Sep 10, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    The Nocturnal Café, 103 S Geneva St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    An evening of stories about our experiences in the healthcare system. Share your journey or simply show up and hold space as a witness.
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Aug 23
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Aug 23, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • Presentation Night
    Presentation Night
    Multiple Dates
    Tue, Aug 18
    Liquid State Brewery
    Aug 18, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Liquid State Brewery, 620 W Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Celebrate the joy of learning at this evening of short talks by non-experts (and there's beer!)
  • Resilience
    Resilience
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Aug 09
    Hangar Theatre
    Aug 09, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
    Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Internationally recognized musician, humanitarian, and artist Samite shares his life story in this multi-media one-man play.
  • Solace Among Trees
    Solace Among Trees
    Mon, Jul 20
    CAP ArtSpace Gallery
    Jul 20, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    CAP ArtSpace Gallery, 110 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    An evening of stories about our deep connections to trees
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Jul 19
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Jul 19, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
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About The Sophie Fund

The Sophie Fund, Inc., principal sponsor of "Breaking Our Silence," is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable corporation established to support mental health initiatives aiding young people in greater Ithaca and Tompkins County. It supports programs and projects; raises awareness and fights the stigma around mental illness and treatment; advances a “zero suicide” ethos in the community; and serves as a community advocate for young people struggling with mental illness.

Story House Ithaca Line
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