Bringing Awareness to Problem Gambling through the Arts
The five participants in a new regional project “Problem Gambling Awareness Through the Arts Initiative,” funded by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and working in conjunction with the Cultural Coalition are:
D Derek (Stonington), Fredrick-Douglass Knowles II (Norwich),
Artreach, Inc. (Norwich), Cape Verdean Santiago Society, Inc. (Norwich),
Winning Ways Inc. (partnering with OIC New London County)
The proposed art activities include: a scavenger hunt at the Cape Verdean Festival, a theatrical program of lived experiences with problem gambling, art-making at the New London and Mystic Pride Fairs, and a spoken word, live music, and painting event.
The first event of the Awareness Through the Arts Initiative was held on May 2 at Flavours of Life in New London. ‘Bet on Black’ consisted of an evening of multi-media artistry incorporating musical and spoken word performance highlighting the significance of black self-love.
Attendees at these problem gambling awareness events will receive information on how to connect with resources, such as: The Responsible Play website https://responsibleplayct.org/ and The Problem Gambling Helpline that is available for FREE, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call/Text 1-888-789-7777 to be connected to a trained helpline specialist. Through this Helpline there is access to 35,000+ live interpreters in 290+ languages including American Sign Language.
About the Cultural Coalition: The Cultural Coalition is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, with the mission to improve the economy, vitality and quality of life in Eastern Connecticut by supporting the arts, cultural and creative community.
The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Problem Gambling Services division’s mission is to provide a comprehensive network of consumer-oriented problem gambling recovery services for people of Connecticut and to foster an environment throughout the State that promotes informed choices around gambling behavior.
DMHAS Problem Gambling Services (PGS) division oversees state contracts for prevention (RBHAOs), treatment (Bettor Choice Treatment Programs) and integrated services (DiGIn).
# # #
From May through September, artists and arts organizations will use an arts-based approach to bring awareness to problem gambling by engaging with specific cultural populations such as Black, Latino/a, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islanders cultural communities, or with the LGBTQIA+ or Veteran communities. (See calendar of upcoming events as of May 2024 below.)
