The Free Pass Project Gives Humans a Break

Next time you’re in a jam, you might actually find yourself with a free pass. Earlier this year, artist Rachel Cyrene Blackman started the Free Pass Project, an interactive public art project that promotes community via handmade free pass tokens.

These little orange discs, randomly distributed in public places or passed person to person, grant their beholders understanding and compassion, and acknowledge that we all need a break sometimes from the personal struggles and challenges we face. The Free Pass Project Facebook page is a space for those who have received and given tokens to share their experiences. One photo shows a gleeful recipient holding her free pass, which itself traveled from Rhode Island all the way to Arizona before returning back to Providence.

These tokens have no boundaries, crossing state lines and connecting people from disparate backgrounds and experiences. Our city has joined a network of myriad locations around the country in the project, and we happen to be a perfect place to spread the love.