Inspired Recovery came to be as a result of a conversation between Tym Rourke and Marty Boldin in 2006. At the time, Tym was the Executive Director of the Makin' It Happen Coalition in Manchester and Marty was (and still is) working at the City of Manchester Office of Youth Services. At the time, Manchester lacked a Recovery Month Celebration event. September is Recovery Month. Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment and service providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.
Tym and Marty wanted to have an event that celebrated the connection between art and recovery by offering a venue for artists to display, perform, and recite their creative works. There was only one catch, the visual art, music, or spoken word poetry had to be performed by a person in recovery or connected to another person's recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. In other words, the works of art had to be Inspired from Recovery or what Recovery Inspired; thus, Inspired Recovery was born in the fall of 2007.
The entire event has been put together by a variety of partners over the years. While Makin' It Happen and the City of Manchester Office of Youth Services have always been at the table. The group has seen participation from the following groups:
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Now in it's fith year running, the event is a major draw for dozens of musicians, performers poets, and hundreds of pieces of art all bearing recovery. Last year it was estimated that over 500 people attended the event. The team of people engaged in this project are deeply appreciative of the efforts and donations of everyone in the community that has now put this event on the list of important community gatherings in Manchester.
