Community Arts

We had three primary artistic goals: Goal 1. Ignite the camper's interest in performing and visual arts. At the conclusion of the camp, 100% of participants were in interested in attending next year's theater arts camp and 93% agreed that they learned about different types of performing arts. Goal 2. Provide them with a two-fold experience of creating a performance and attending a performing arts event. Students produced a final showcase that included 7 short pieces around different social justice topics as well as spoken word and vocal performances. Students participated in two events intended to expose them to a range of theater arts. They attended Scapegoat, a play about race issues in the early 20th century and today, at the Pillsbury Theater, and a performance and workshop with Irreducible Grace Foundation's Fostering Voice Workshop, a program that introduces theater arts to youth aging out of the foster care system. Goal 3. Provide access to the arts for the campers and their families. Students were able to attend the two field trips/guest workshops and students put on 2 performances, one for peers and one for family and community members, reaching a total of 96 people. 100% of parents agreed that their student learned new concepts or skills, and beyond performing arts, 87% of students said they learned more about Social Justice. We were successful in introducing youth to a wide range of theater art concepts coupled with a wide range of social justice topics. Based on our goals from the previous year, we spent more time allowing students to research their topics and produce pieces grounded in facts as well as personal experience. We also spent more time on teaching students how to share what they learn and experience with their family and friends. Finally we allowed students to volunteer to be directors of each piece and that leadership role elevated the quality of each piece as well as the student experience. However, there were two main challenges: 1) Students had interests in theater roles beyond acting and directing such as costumes, make-up, lighting, etc., and we did not have the time or in some cases the expertise to focus on these skills. We would like to offer guest-led workshops in some of these areas outside the normal time so that students can opt-in based on interest and they would be open to outside students, parents, and community members. 2) Given the strong interest in directing and leadership roles, we want to focus more on this going forward, spending more time on directing skills and building in more leadership roles as students participate in a second or third year. Despite planning for 12 students, we ended up serving 25 students due to the demand and student interest. Of the 25 student participants, 76% were students of color, 60% were eligible for free or reduced lunch, and 52% had diagnosed mental health issues. We felt we were successful in reaching our student population because we were able to meet a wide range of student needs. For example, many students were only able to participate because we offered the program for free and provided transportation. The diversity of students that participated led to rich and successful conversations and theater exercises around social justice topics. We were able to make our program open and accessible to all students because we employed staff trained in working with students with mental health needs, we offered the program for free and provided food and transportation, and we had a 1:6 staff to student ratio that allowed us to work individually with each student to meet their needs. We also were successful in reaching a diverse set of artists and community organizations. Our primary theatre artist is trained in social justice theater and has a strong background in spoken word and movement arts. Pillsbury House Theater, both a community center and theatre is committed to partnering with diverse audiences to create transformational arts experiences. They uphold that arts are an integral part of all healthy communities. Irreducible Grace Foundation's Fostering Voice program is committed to providing theater training to youth who have experienced foster care, incarceration, homelessness, food in-security, or are an ally to those who have had these experiences. Three outcomes that highlight success in exposing students to theater arts (93% of youth said they learned about different performing arts), providing them with strong relationships to caring adults (100% of youth felt that camp staff really care about them), and developing their social and emotional skills (93% of youth felt more comfortable working in a group and 100% made new friends).