EDGY Conference

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Rebecca Liliana Gómez (she, hers)
Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural
Rebecca Liliana Gómez (she, hers)
Rebecca Liliana Gómez, is a Queer Xicana artivist who currently focuses on organizing the Trauma to Transformation program at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural. The program’s goal is to change the narrative of mass incarceration to bring an end to the issue using the power of the arts, story telling, and fostering community connection. Outside of her role at Tia Chucha’s, she is a danzante rooted in Mexica teachings. She is also a proud fandanguera, or a person who attends fandangos, or community gatherings to practice the traditional music of Son Jarocho.

SESSION OVERVIEW

Creative Wellbeing: Centering LGBTQIA2S+ Joy and Care Through Healing Centered Arts Practices
Experience the power of healing-centered arts and collective joy. The arts offer so much more than expression — they ground us in cultural memory, spark belonging, and help sustain our movements. In a moment when LGBTQIA+ communities and advocates are navigating harmful legislation, ongoing erasure, and systemic inequities, creative practices become vital tools for renewal and resistance. Join us for a Creative Wellbeing workshop designed to uplift, restore, and reconnect. In partnership with local arts organizations, we’re co-creating an experiential session that invites participants into movement, poetry, or both — all rooted in the radical practice of nurturing critical hope. Together, we’ll explore how art can refill our personal and collective reservoirs, strengthen community care, and celebrate LGBTQIA+ joy, creativity, and ancestral wisdom. This session includes: • An introduction to the Creative Wellbeing approach • Hands-on arts experiences that cultivate grounding, reflection, and connection • A dynamic Q&A featuring teaching artists, County partners, and community advocates • Real stories and examples of how healing-centered arts are transforming spaces across LA County • Strategies for weaving belonging, cultural equity, and wellbeing into youth-serving environments Creative Wellbeing blends healing-centered arts with evidence-based mental health promotion to support systems-impacted youth, young people at risk of system involvement, and the adults who walk alongside them. Developed collaboratively by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, Office of Child Protection, Department of Mental Health, Department of Children and Family Services, and Arts for Healing and Justice Network, Creative Wellbeing is active across 83 sites — from schools to foster family agencies to County departments — helping build communities of wellness through culturally rooted creative practice.