Participant Experiences of “In Our Words”: A Case Study of Bethel AME Church and Temple Israel of Boston

Arts for Social Cohesion: 2026

Can music, poetry, and shared storytelling build genuine connection between communities separated by history, faith and circumstance? This evaluation brief examines exactly that. Incevia Policy Partners conducted a qualitative case study of the “In Our Words” residency—a seven month arts-based program that brought together congregants from Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and Temple Israel of Boston to build social cohesion through creative expression.

Drawing on direct observation of program events and in-depth interviews with 15 congregants and leaders from both communities, the evaluation found that the program succeeded in creating psychologically safe, deeply human-centered spaces where participants experienced genuine personal transformation, broke down long-held assumptions, and developed meaningful cross-community connections—effects that persisted seven to eight months after the program ended. At the same time, the evaluation identified a critical gap: without intentional relational infrastructure to sustain those bonds after the residency closed, emotional resonance did not translate into lasting behavioral change.

The brief offers concrete recommendations for how arts-based programs can embed follow-up mechanisms to turn profound, one-time experiences into durable community relationships.

“Seemingly fleeting experiences—a story workshop, a dinner, a poem—seem to have shifted participants’ inferences about one another in durable ways.”

— Guy Mendilow, IOW Program Designer

Brief coming soon