July 1, 2017 – “Story in the Public Square”

About one in five Americans live with a diagnosable mental disorder. This week’s guests, Jeff Sparr and Matt Kaplan, are creators of a program that uses storytelling and expressive arts to create peace of mind.

Based in Rhode Island and with an international reach, the non-profit organization PeaceLove Studios promotes mental wellness and fights stigma against mental illness with the use of expressive arts. PeaceLove offers services through its centers and with outreach programs that bring the message of mental wellness and acceptance through art to schools, workplaces and other venues.

“Story in the Public Square” airs on Rhode Island PBS in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts on Sundays at 11 a.m. and is rebroadcast Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. An audio version of the program airs Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. & 10:30 p.m. ET and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. ET on SiriusXM’s popular P.O.T.U.S. (Politics of the United States), channel 124.

Story in the Public Square is a partnership between the Pell Center and The Providence Journal. The initiative aims to study, celebrate, and tell stories that matter.