Recovery Arts Project and Bigvision Announce Partnership to Combat Addiction through The Arts

The Recovery Arts Project and Bigvision are proud to announce a transformative partnership aimed at addressing the addiction epidemic through the power of the arts. This collaboration will expand Bigvision’s reach into the creative community and establish the Recovery Arts Project’s presence at Bigvision’s 309 Social Club in Manhattan.

The partnership comes at a critical time: overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49, with one person dying every seven minutes. The economic toll of addiction in the U.S. exceeds $1.5 trillion annually.

Through this alliance, the Recovery Arts Project will use Bigvision’s stunning 4,000- square-foot 309 Social Club as its New York City headquarters. The space will serve as a creative hub for artists in recovery, supporting the development of theater, television, animation, and film projects.

Over the past year, the Recovery Arts Project has made significant strides— collaborating with Redwood: The Musical, partnering with the Clinton Foundation to launch the placement of naloxone in Broadway theaters, and working with organizations such as Hazelden Betty Ford, Works & Process at the Guggenheim and the Terrence McNally Foundation to commission new, recovery-positive works.

At the same time, Bigvision boldly launched the only sober social club in New York City this past March.

This distinct partnership is a major step toward integrating the healing power of the arts into addiction recovery efforts—and ultimately, saving lives.

“It’s inspiring to see two fantastic organizations—Bigvision and the Recovery Arts Project—partnering to tackle this epidemic in bold, creative ways. Through storytelling, visibility, and compassion, they’re removing stigma, and showing the world that recovery is not only possible, but worth celebrating.” - Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford, producer of ‘The White Chip’.

"Bringing the Recovery Arts Project to Bigvision expands our mission in powerful new ways by infusing recovery with creativity and visibility. By empowering artists to reshape the narrative around addiction, we not only deepen our community's healing journey, but also inspire cultural change that reaches far beyond our walls." - Hila Reichman, Executive Director, Bigvision

“The Terrence McNally Foundation is especially proud to partner with an organization so deeply committed to changing the narrative around addiction. As we continue to lose someone every seven minutes to this epidemic, it’s more urgent than ever to remove stigma, normalize getting help, and remind people—especially artists—that Recovery is not only possible, but powerful. We’re excited to be joining forces with the Recovery Arts Project, Provincetown theater and the Works & Process at the Guggenheim to tackle this crisis in new ways, with compassion, creativity, and a shared belief in second acts. “ - Santino DeAngelo, Executive Director, Terrence McNally Foundation.

“Bigvision is one of the most innovative recovery organizations I know, it’s an honor to get to join them, Already we took our first Terrence McNally Recovery commissioned playwrights Craig Lucas and Jake Brasch there to start dreaming about what work can be created at 309 Social Club. 4000 square feet in Manhattan goes a long way to saving lives.” - Sean Daniels, Executive Director, Recovery Arts Project

You can learn more about Bigvision and the Recovery Arts Project at https://www.bigvision.nyc/

See Sean Daniels’ speech at the Clinton Global Initiative about the Clinton Foundation’s Broadway initiative at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagjNVt36hU

The White Chip by Sean Daniels is currently in rehearsal in London for a July 11 th opening https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-white-chip/

To learn more about the Terrence McNally Foundation: https://www.terrencemcnallyfoundation.org/

Sean Daniels (Director) is an internationally known theater director, writer, and Artistic Director, known for new work and innovative community-based leadership. He is a leading voice in using the arts to defeat addiction and runs the Recovery Arts Project. As an artist, he has been a NYTimes Critic Pick as a director and a writer. His play The White Chip, a New York Times Critic’s Pick and Drama League Award nominee for “Best Revival,” has been performed around the world as a catalyst for community conversation and connection. It currently just closed Off-Broadway produced by Hank Azaria, Jason Biggs, and Tony winners John Larroquette and Annaleigh Ashford. “Plays save lives in all kinds of ways. I would bet that The White Chip has and will,” said The New York Times. Next it will play in London at the Southwark Playhouse in July. As adirector, his work has appeared at Manhattan Theatre Club and Lynn Redgrave Theatre (NYC) Southwark Playhouse and St. James (London), Club eX, Prince Hotel Shinagawa (Tokyo), Daegu Festival, Culture and Arts Theatre CT (Seoul) and many wonderful regional theatres around the US of A (Kennedy Center, Geffen, ACT, Arena, Old Globe, etc.). He is the former Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Dad’s Garage in Atlanta, GA. As the Director of the Recovery Arts Project, his geotargeted anti-stigma campaign reached almost 35M people. A USF analysis of the program found that it had “significant impacts in aspects of nearly every domain of addiction stigma.” In the arts world, Sean has been named “one of the top fifteen up and coming artists in the U.S., whose work will be transforming America’s stages for decades to come” and “One Of 7 People Reshaping and Revitalizing The American Musical” by American Theatre Magazine.

The Recovery Arts Project taps into the transformative power of art and artists to change the national conversation about addiction and recovery. Artists are uniquely positioned to create highly visible, emotionally resonant work, persuading audiences that addiction is not a moral failing but a public health crisis. By eradicating the stigma of seeking help and providing real support to those in need, our work eases the recovery journey for millions of people around the world and ultimately saves lives.

Our approach falls into three categories:

- PRODUCE new artistic works that expand recovery narratives and/or are made by artists in recovery.
- CREATE innovative programs to support artists at all stages of their recovery journey.
- NORMALIZE seeking help through targeted media campaigns, partnerships, and public health resources.

Bigvision Community, established in 2015, is a nonprofit organization that has created a supportive peer community for young adults (20s & 30s) in recovery from substance use. Through educational and recreational programming, Bigvision has helped these individuals sustain long-term recovery. In April, Bigvision opened its doors to the 309 Social Club, the first independent substance free social club in Manhattan. This new club allows Bigvision to broaden its reach and offer a myriad of engaging programs for all young adults committed to living a substance-free lifestyle.

Bigvision Community is dedicated to the memory of Isaac Goldberg Volkmar who struggled to find a peer community to support his recovery. Unfortunately, Isaac tragically passed away from an accidental overdose in 2014. We hope his legacy will live on in the lives of those empowered by our community.

Press Contact:
Sean Daniels: seandaniels@mac.com 5106848071
Hila Reichman: hila@bigvisionnyc.com 9172970458

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