November 4
Behind the Scenes: Notes from Director Glenn Holsten
Hi there, and thanks again for following the VOICES FROM BROAD STREET MINISTRY film series.
This film project took Broad Street Ministry way beyond what they considered “business as usual.” At the same time, however, it is directly connected to a fundamental part of their mission, which is to acknowledge the gifts and talents that each guest possesses, and value their experiences as human beings. “We see you. We hear you.” is the message sent to guests who participated in these film adventures.
But how to let guests know about the opportunity to participate?
Art Therapist Michael Galarraga outside BSM
We posted “notices” about the film series—printed out on colorful pieces of paper and posted on the scaffolding that runs the length of the lunch line—that attracted a good deal of attention and sparked interest.
Response was high and enthusiasm for the project began to take shape. A number of guests were curious about the videos that we were sharing and approached the table. Conversation flowed, and Michael and I were able to answer questions, share ideas and even explore some film approaches with guests who were particularly excited about the opportunity. We took names of those interested. Those with cell phones shared their numbers, and I texted them later that day, saying how happy I was that we had connected, and inviting them to a series of workshops that we were going to be having the next month.
Despite the presence of COVID-19 and construction to the north and south, Broad Street Ministry is still a sanctuary for a great many men and women. For health safety reasons, lunch is no longer served inside the building, but rather shared outside each day. A line forms around 10:30 a.m. for the “to go” lunches, which are shared at 11:30 a.m. So, we brought the project to the people. Out on the street, under the scaffolding.
For two weeks in March, art therapist Michael Galarraga and I put a table and monitor and a speaker at the front of the line. While the lunch line formed, we played two different versions of the first video we crafted that featured David Charles performing his poem “A Self Talk to Myself”—one version with David on camera, and a second version that was graphics only, to show possible participants that they could choose to either appear on camera or not.
David Charles Garvin on a monitor outside of BSM
There were a number of lessons learned on the lunch line: the mention of an “art” project sparked interest and, often, delight; people were attracted to the colorful graphics on screen and wanted to know more; some saw themselves in David’s storytelling; and finally, despite being surrounded by the sights and sounds of construction and traffic, the lunch line is a fertile place to create connections, mine ideas and inspiration.
Community exists everywhere—even on a lunch line forming outside of Broad Street Ministry.