New London — “Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.”

Felicia Hurley, a volunteer with the Writer’s Block Ink youth arts program, smiled broadly as she led a dozen people in a drum circle Saturday morning.

With Hurley’s encouragement, the drummers, sitting in the basement of New London’s Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication, slowly found a rhythm.

They had spent several hours that morning talking about domestic violence and abuse as part of a forum sponsored by two local organizations: Safe Futures, which operates an emergency shelter and transitional living program for families affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, and Writer’s Block Ink, an arts and social change program for local young people.

Several open art classes, including the drumming circle, a painting session and a dance class, followed the forum.

The workshops, called Raising Voices Against Domestic Violence, were the product of a $20,000 Arts and Community Impact grant that state officials awarded to Writer’s Block Ink last year.

The youth arts program collaborated with Safe Futures to organize a series of ongoing workshops and arts classes this spring and summer.

The two organizations will host another community forum with art workshops on July 16, and free-standing arts workshops on May 21, June 11 and July 30, all at the Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication.

Writer’s Block Ink Director Adriane Jefferson told the group assembled in the school’s gym Saturday morning that writing and poetry have helped her get through tough times.

“I’ve always used the arts and writing to move myself forward, to recover,” Jefferson said.

Ewa Growchowska, who volunteers as an instructor for a children’s art class at Safe Futures, said art was therapeutic for her as a kid growing up with an abusive family member.

Growchowska said she recently was reminded how much she loves the smell of crayons because of the role they played in her childhood.

“I always went to my coloring books and my crayons — that was my escape,” she said.

As several of Saturday’s participants painted on T-shirts that will later be displayed at Safe Futures, Melva O’Neill, the organization’s community outreach coordinator, said survivors of abuse can benefit from having an artistic outlet.

“Art can help them cope with it while they’re in that relationship or once they get out of it,” she said. “Whether it’s painting, drumming ... or dancing, it all helps them create an avenue of expression for themselves.”

Once people leave abusive relationships, O’Neill said, art can help survivors process their trauma.

“There’s a perception that they’re safe now ... but they’re carrying all these stories into their daily life.”

In August, students with Writer’s Block Ink will perform music, poetry and theater in a final production at the ISAAC school, inspired partially by the stories presented at the Safe Futures arts workshops this spring and summer.

“Arts allow us to have different conversations,” Jefferson said. “When demographic barriers are crossed, we can connect on a higher level.”

After a minute in the drum circle, the rhythm came to an end.

“There were some moments — I don’t know if you felt it — that we were in unison,” Hurley said triumphantly.

“Do we feel better?” she asked.

Several people responded, “yes.”

“Mission accomplished,” Hurley said.

m.shanahan@theday.com