There are more than 117.3 million people forcibly displaced around the world, which is more than any other time in modern history. In addition to lacking basic needs - safety, clean water, food, healthcare - displaced people lose their community, and contend with isolation, loneliness, and a sense of hopelessness that further exacerbates the toll on their physical and mental health.

 

Recent research by the World Health Organization has identified the importance of the arts, with their innate therapeutic qualities and deep roots across cultures, in enhancing physical and emotional support for resilience and wellbeing. Tapping into the power of the arts, during the peak of the Syrian refugee crisis in 2017, Jessica Hecht founded the Campfire Project with producer Jenny Gersten to promote arts-based wellness in refugee spaces and among displaced communities. 

 

Campfire’s programming is developed by mental health professionals, arts therapists, and arts facilitators, engaging diverse arts practices to empower refugees and asylum seekers to explore their creativity, refocus on their humanity, and foster their resilience. 

 

The Campfire Project has led missions in refugee camps and settlements serving displaced communities from across the globe, including 5 trips to Greece, 2 to Moldova and 1 to Uganda. In July 2024, Campfire also turned their attention to their own backyard, in NYC, where over 170,000 undocumented migrants have arrived over the past two years.