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Knights of Glory
Artwork by B.A. Vierling
A Film and Web Project Presented by
The Deborah Jean Arts in Hospitals and Hospice Program
Once Upon a Time... there were some kids who had to live in a hospital. Some were waiting for a transplant, some had infections, and
some had a problem called Cancer.
Then one day, their Child Life Specialist handed them a magic key. This key had a code written on it, and when they put this code into their computers, it unlocked the door to a magical place where knights helped a princess named Glory, defend her kingdom.
Each kid got to choose a secret Knight-name too, so they could talk about their feelings and ideas, and no one would know who they really were. While they visited this magical place, the kids could tell the characters what they thought about their story, and how the princess should solve her problems, or what they would change about the story. They could also draw their own pictures and write their own stories.
Then the good people of ArtStream took all the ideas, stories and drawings that the kids submitted, and used the information to help the good people in Child Life help their kids.
But here’s the really exciting part! You and your hospital can also receive magic keys for your kids, too. Thanks to a generous grant from the Deborah Jean Arts in Hospitals and Hospice Program, this project comes to you free of charge.
View Promo Booklet
The Film - Knights of Glory
During Summer 2009, ArtStream filmed a full length, professional version of Knights of Glory right here in the Washington Metro Area.
Knights of Glory - Trailer
Please enjoy! (And watch for some of your favorite ArtStream faculty and staff members!)
Rate the video & leave comments on YouTube
Knights of Glory Movie Premiere - Pictures!
On May 19, 2010, ArtStream celebrated our first ever movie premiere at the Arlington Cinema 'n Drafthouse. Thanks to all who came and made this event so special!
view photos from the event.
The Benefits
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WHAT: “Knights of Glory” is a film, to be broadcast in daily episodes on the world wide web. It is a musical, fantasy, allegory which has been specifically created to help children and young people who are living with a challenging illness. The story mirrors the journey of a child with an illness, but is not so recognizable as to be uncomfortable.
A live, interactive, theatrical version of this show toured pediatric units of certain hospitals in the Washington DC area through 2008 and 2009. Young patients actually participated in the story by playing on-stage roles.
In the web version, viewers will have a web address where they can anonymously post their thoughts, feelings and ideas about this story, and their own. Costumed characters will address chosen responses from the viewers at the beginning of each episode. We will also post the children’s thoughts and ideas, under their secret knight names, as well as their own, original artwork that they send-in.
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WHEN: Our micro-website is currently in development. Contact Sally at s.kinka@art-stream.org if you are interested in being among our first communities to benefit!
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WHY~THE BENEFITS: Benefits for the children include:
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An outlet to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas anonymously, or simply talk with other young people in similar situations, around the country.
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A chance to have their ideas validated by a character from a film.
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Have a forum for their ideas and artwork.
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We also intend to have surveys as games, within the web site, which the children can participate in.
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BENEFITS FOR THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY: We will be able to generate data on what the kids would like to see, and insight into their thoughts and feelings about their hospital or hospice care living. This information can be tracked according to: geographic area, age, gender and to some degree, diagnosis, should they choose to share it.
This information will be invaluable to caretakers and the hospital and hospice community at large. Art is an easy, expressive way to let children share their thoughts and experiences.
Knights of Glory Web Project demo
Press and Community Engagment
Knights of Glory on WAMU
We were featured on WAMU's 88.5 FM "Metro Connection" on Friday November 7, 2008. The piece focused on ArtStream's Deborah Jean Arts in Hospitals and Hospice Program which began its programming at the Children's Inn at NIH.
Listen to the segment: 
Real Audio 
Windows Media
Read more: WAMU's website (4th paragraph from the top)
Society for Arts in Healthcare (SAH) Annual Conference
*UPDATE: Knights of Glory will be featured in the SAH Film Festival on Friday, April 15 at the 2011 Annual Conference.
A segment from the audience favorite will be shown on the San Francisco Area PBS station as a testament to growing interested in "patient-centered arts."
Congratulations to Sally and everyone involved. We are very excited for this opportunity to get ArtStream's name out there.
On April 29, 2010, ArtStream’s Sally Kinka, Patricia Woolsey and Judy Rollins presented at the Society for Arts in Healthcare’s Annual International Conference in Minneapolis. They presented; Arts in Healthcare for the 21st Century, using the internet to facilitate interactive healing arts, globally. The presentation outlined ArtStream’s innovative film and web project, Knights of Glory.
Our film incorporates elements of allegory, fantasy, theatre, music, dance and visual art to chronicle the journey that young people go through when dealing with serious illness or grief.
They discussed how artists can now capitalize on the power of the Internet to enhance the healing experience by connecting with others in an interactive way. New Technologies, including the Internet, are allowing arts interaction to reach a far greater number of patients than ever before. ArtStream’s children’s story of healing, broadcast on the web, is giving viewers the opportunity to interact in real time, and is generating new data on arts effectiveness.
We presented how our special “micro-site”, exclusive to our partnering hospitals and hospice organizations, allows for participants to discuss the content of each of ten episodes, as well as post their own ideas. The web site also gives the participants the opportunity to submit their own stories and artwork.
This rich input, in tandem with additional data, will allow us to evaluate our hypothesis that the arts can reach children at the therapeutic level and can effectively assist in the healing process.
Live Performances of Knights of Glory
- November 2, 2008 - The Children’s Inn of NIH for child patients of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their families
view photos - December 3, 2008 - HSC Pediatric Center for child and teen patients of the Center, and Center Staff
- January 12, 2009 - Georgetown University Hospital for child and teen patients of the Hospital and Hospital Staff
- February 4, 2009 - Children’s National Medical Center for general audience, patients, families, doctors and Hospital staff
- February 16, 2009 - Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health for teen residents of the Hospital and Hospital staff
- April 15, 2009 - HSC Pediatric Center for child and teen patients of Center and Center staff
- May 30, 2009 - Camp Caring Bereavement Camp of Hospice Caring of Montgomery County, for bereaved children ages 8-12, and their mentors and Camp staff view photos
- June 7, 2009 - The Children’s Inn of NIH for child patients of NIH and their families view photos
Photos
View photos from Knights of Glory performances, including:
Testimonials
"The show was wonderful! I think those children will carry Knights of Glory with them for a lifetime. It amazed me that not one single child fidgeted during the hour. You really grabbed their attention and kept it. What a great cast as well! They were so warm and welcoming to the children."
-- Judy Rollins, PhD, RN, Rollins & Associates Research and Consulting
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING to Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Center. The residents LOVED the ArtStream performance of Knights of Glory. Please feel free to come again. You and your staff are very much welcome. Once again, thank you."
-- Anika Allard, Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health
"Knights of Glory is a wonderfully written play. Although we only had two kids participating in the play, they thoroughly enjoyed it very much. At first, both were shy and didn't really want to participate and interact with the actors but as the play went on, they did and had so much fun. The fact that it was interactive and something that the kids could participate in is genius because the kids are not just sitting and watching, but interacting."
-- Linda Kim, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Georgetown University Hospital
"I thought it was really cool. I can’t believe real actors and actresses came to the hospital. I liked when they kissed."
-- Jasmine, 18 year-old patient at HSC Pediatric Center
Request More Info
Contact Sally Kinka at (919) 995-1151 or s.kinka@art-stream.org to find out more about the “Knights of Glory” film/web project, and how to get your keys.
Demo DVD’s are also available upon request.
