See It: The Community being helped

For as long as I can remember, my life has been consumed by theatre. Whether it be behind the scenes, on stage, in the audience; I have always tried to dip my feet in as many areas of performing arts as possible. As a result, it was very important to me that I leave behind something for my high school besides just a memory.
In November of this year I decided to direct a show of which all the proceeds would go to Buchanan High School’s Bearstage. With the blessing of the lead drama teacher, I picked to do an interactive murder mystery dinner theatre in my school’s cafeteria. I got the script, held auditions, cast the show, blocked the scenes, made the set, and delegated other tasks to a few helping students without which I couldn’t have succeeded to the amount that I did. The food was donated and before I knew it, it was opening night.
The cast was amazing, and with the hard work of everyone who worked on the show, we made more money than any other student production in the history of Buchanan High School. I’m very proud that I could leave behind something that would help other drama students pursue their passions, and give them inspiration to make their own opportunities arise.

See It: The Community being helped

As part of an outreach program with my school orchestra, we go to elementary schools that have 80% or more children on food plans, or are from lower income families and put on concerts for the students. Last year we had young artists from my school make masks to go with each song from Camille Saen-Sans Carnival of the Animals and kids from the elementary schools would come up and act out the animals during each song while we played.

This is out third year of music outreach in my school orchestra and this year we're performing Haydn's Toy Symphony and passing out toys to the kindergarten students in the elementary schools. We've gone to two schools and it has been our best outreach project so far. The kids love the audience interaction and playing with the orchestra.

We need grant money help to purchase the toy (cheap) instruments - we hope it might fire a spark of passion in a child that would otherwise never have been exposed to music education.

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VAMS is a non-profit organization that utilizes and develops the talents of high school students in the areas of visual arts, performing arts, and music with the focus on benefiting society. Regularly, each VAMS club prepares and hosts events at various institutions such as hospitals, foster care centers, homeless centers, and convalescence homes. These events occur about once every one or two months and consist of performing orchestral and choral selections and/or musical skits, in addition to interacting with the patients through chatting, craft making, dancing, and other similar activities.

See It: The Community being helped

Tongues of Fire is a monthly open mic event hosted by youth. It will showcase young and old talent in East Oakland that is spiritually focused and inspired. Here the youth along with the adults are encouraged to share one another's opinions on all issues that present themselves in each other's lives. Everything from sexual orientation, poverty, tempation, identity, God, and love are discussed here. The intention is to teach the youth life lessons via both youth and adult perpectives as well as encourage them to pursue and rermain in a committed relationship with God. The event also involves outreaching to troubled youth that are constantly on the street regardless of their backgorund. Ultimately, this will transform into a youth driven organization that will work to attract young people to God and other hurting people here and abroad. Funds will go from addressing the people locally first and then situations abroad(e.g. Hurricane Katrina, Genocide in Sudan, Poverty in Kenya). Each month there is a topic for discussion that all people are encouraged to address. It always ends with prayer.

See It: The Community being helped

WinSome Arts & Entertainment Workshops will host its first "Urban Youth Arts Camp". This camp is inspired and created based on the creative inner-city youth needing an avenue to express themselves through the arts. This camp includes instruction taught by professional artists in the areas of music, acting, writing and dance.

We are needing funds and volunteers that will allow us to offer this program to disadvantaged youth at low price. Volunteers need to live in or near the Little Rock metropolitan area. Talented candidates would need a clean criminal history, love children and would love to work with youth in the areas of administration, events, production, and instruction.