To develop youth leadership by our commitment to using the youths’ voice when creating, developing and performing original works of art.  Our goal is for students to acquire leadership, confidence and professionalism.

 
 Leadership:

DonnaSue de Guzman is the Master Artist and Artistic Director.  She has been serving the youths of Bridgeport since 1993 having led the following organizations:

• McGivney Teen Theater Company, 1993-1995
• Regional Center for the Arts, 1995-1999
• Polka Dot Playhouse, 1997-1999
• Housatonic Community College Theater Program, 1998-1999
• Original Works Inc., 1999-2011

She will lead all the students through our mission.  She will ensure that:

• classes are taught in accordance with the schedule and youth needs
• students create and write their stories/projects
• students analyze their concepts so it makes sense
• the staging is conducted in a professional manner
• the activities for all projects are coordinated with other teachers, partners and event locations
• participants stick to the schedule and
• the students are evaluated daily and weekly.

 Background: Organized on October 14, 2011 as a non-stock corporation, YouthArtWorks Inc. is a new organization but the leadership has a rich history in Bridgeport and in promoting youth development.  We achieve youth development by introducing the youth to the fundamental aspects of the arts: theater, dance, media, music and visual.  Through workshops, classes, and exercises, we create an open environment for freedom of expression and youth-led decisions.  As our participants become more comfortable with the environment, they develop confidence then professionalism and leadership ensues.

Art is about expressing oneself.  We achieve this by teaching our students to tell stories that are about themselves.  We strive to ask:

• What do you want to say?
• What is your message?
• What are the issues that concern you?
• Who are you?

We want our students to come away with their experience affirming, “This is me.  This is us.”  The student driven model is a proven method and stems from the belief that each has a right to express oneself.

 Constituents:  YouthArtWorks Inc. will serve an average daily attendance of 25 students, ages 9-18 years old.  The students come from throughout the City of Bridgeport with no geographical majority.  However, because of our strategic partnership with the McGivney Community Center and the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport, the majority of our students are African American and Hispanic youths.

Process:  The organization is open Monday through Saturday but student activities will occur between Tuesday through Friday after-school (3:30 – 8 p.m.) and follows the City of Bridgeport’s school closing policy.  Activities typically will occur in three phases:

1. Classroom Phase –To nurture professionalism (behaviors include social etiquette, communication and teamwork), we provide classes, workshops and student-driven projects including but not limited to acting, screenwriting, play production, dance, music, stage management and video production.  During this phase, we also provide opportunities for performances at local schools.  It allows the students to “test” their performance skills and their works in front of their own peers.  We are not a drop-in program and we will charge nominal fees to each student.  The student must commit to the program schedule.
2. Discovery Phase – as part of discovering better knowledge and understanding of the performing arts process, students are given an opportunity to attend and participate in professional workshops.  An example would be a workshop called, “The Power of Me: the Anti-Bullying Workshop,” produced by Broadway Classrooms in New York City.  The workshop and the show will expand the youth’s vision, enhance their work and support the core values we teach.  Workshops will occur between December and January.
3. Performance Phase – the youths will implement the skills they learned during the first two phases and display their leadership skills by performing their original play/project and conduct interactive group discussions with young audiences.  Performances could occur at the Downtown Cabaret Theater or other Connecticut theaters.  Part of the performance phase is a reflection piece.  Students will be asked a few simple questions, on video about their project(s) such as:

• What did you learn?
• What was most enjoyable about the project?
• What could you improve upon?
• What is your big dream about the project you just finished?
• What do you want to do in the near future?

Outcomes and Evaluation Process:  The short-term outcomes are related to observable conditions such as student behaviors and performances.  Students are constantly evaluated through daily and weekly exercises in demonstrating the criteria below:

1. Confidence: behaviors such as participation, commitment, speak openly in private and group settings
2. Professionalism: behaviors such as social etiquette, communication and teamwork
3. Leadership: behaviors such as writing their own stories, developing, producing and directing their work, creating works of art that express their own voice, self-affirmation “This is me.  This is us,” performing in front of an audience and imparting their knowledge to others.

Students receive immediate feedback from the Master Artist if any of the 3 criteria are not satisfied.  We anticipate a minimum of 75% of the students achieving significant improvement measured from the start of the program to the end of the program.

Youth Leaders:  Students who return have learned to envision themselves as positive role models.  They impart the knowledge and experience they have to the younger students and easily transition into mentors.  They have learned to take on creating, developing, directing and producing shows and programmatic decision-making.   It is for this reason that we commit to providing youth leaders with stipends.  Many of our students come from low-income households with a limited view of the performing arts as a career.  By providing stipends, we offer the student(s) and their parent(s) value to their child’s activities.

In our commitment to furthering the youth voice, each year, two youths will serve on the board of directors will full voting rights.

 Strategic Relationships: In these economic times, it is imperative that strategic relationships are established to survive and flourish.  We have established a strategic link with the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport.  They are providing the space, the Gary Crooks Memorial Center, for the program activities along with access to youths at PT Barnum Apartments.  PT Barnum Apartments is a 360 apartment complex for low-income households.  The Center is located in the West End/Black Rock neighborhoods of Bridgeport and will afford us an opportunity to recruit youths in these two neighborhoods.  The BHA wants to expand our services to the youths of Trumbull Gardens Apartments, which serves 400 households and the North End of Bridgeport.

Another strategic alliance we have is with the McGivney Community Center.  They are providing transportation and their support staff to five of their youths to participate in our activities.

Finally, we have had a relationship with the Downtown Cabaret Theater since 1993.  In their effort to seek out partnerships with community organizations, they have offered the use of their space for a whole month in June prior to our culminating event.  This will allow our youths to get the full professional experience in a professional theater.