For summer 2023, the Institute of Contemporary Art collaborated with organizations and individuals in East Boston who support community healing and well-being. Many are members of the thriving East Boston Community Healing Center Project, a group of 20-plus members who actively offer wellness interventions in response to the stresses and traumas experienced by many residents. Their work in this neighborhood that has for generations witnessed the arrival of new immigrants is culturally rooted and community-led—a hallmark of the community activism historically found in East Boston.

Veronica Robles is a mariachi singer, musician, and Latin American folkloric dancer and choreographer. She is also co-founder and director of the Veronica Robles Cultural Center (VRCC), a non-profit organization in East Boston that supports community action, economic growth, and cultural understanding through the arts.

In this video, Robles demonstrates an indigenous healing practice from Mexico that incorporates song, movement, and the natural elements to help restore balance, harmony, and well-being.