Memphis Took a Trauma-Informed Music Program to Greece, and It Started Right Here
Memphis has always had a way of creating things that travel far beyond city limits. Music, culture and big ideas have a habit of starting here and finding their way across the world.
Now, another Memphis story is doing exactly that.
Recently, two Memphis organizations, Iris Collective and Thistle & Bee, traveled to Greece to present a locally developed program at an international conference focused on arts and health. Their project, “Hope Carried Through Song,” isn’t a concert series or a traditional music education program. It’s a trauma-informed lullaby-writing initiative created for women survivors of human trafficking.
At first glance, it might sound surprising that a classical music organization and a nonprofit supporting women survivors of trafficking would collaborate. But that’s also part of what makes this city unique. Some of Memphis’ most meaningful work happens when organizations that may seem unrelated sit down at the same table.
Iris Collective has built a reputation for using music as a tool for connection, healing and community engagement. Thistle & Bee works every day to provide safe housing, support and employment opportunities for women rebuilding their lives after trafficking, prostitution and addiction. Together, they asked a different kind of question: What happens when music becomes more than something we listen to? What happens when it becomes a way for people to express themselves, process experiences and reclaim their voice?
The project brought together musicians and clinicians to explore how creative expression can support healing and personal empowerment. The clinical component was developed by Dr. Susan Elswick of the University of Memphis and Behavior Services of the Mid-South, with research and outcomes presented alongside the project itself.
The presentation at the 2nd International Meeting of Arts Prescribing in HealthCare in Greece brought together researchers, artists and clinicians from around the world to discuss the relationship between arts, wellbeing and care. Even more exciting? The work is expected to be included in a special issue of “Frontiers in Psychology,” and the collaboration has already received another invitation to present at a major conference in Dublin.
While Memphis often gets talked about for the challenges it faces, stories like this remind us of something else: this city is also creating solutions.
Sometimes they come from classrooms. Sometimes from nonprofits. Sometimes from artists. And sometimes they emerge from unexpected partnerships that quietly grow into something bigger than anyone anticipated.
The work happening here isn’t just staying here.
It’s being carried across oceans.
