This summer, we expanded our partnership with Amara to bring a new experience to Art 4 Life. Together with Rain City Rock Camp, we welcomed youth into two weeks of music, printmaking and performance that took them from learning instruments to taking the stage with original songs of their own.
The collaboration built on arts programming we offered with Amara during the school year and on Amara’s experience supporting children and families involved in foster care, or at risk of becoming involved. Rain City Rock Camp brought music education and gender-responsive programming that helps youth explore identity and build community. By combining our areas of expertise, we gave the youth Amara serves access to skilled teaching artists and an accepting space to take creative risks.
“For youth navigating attachment and instability, consistency matters. Showing up is part of the program.” — Jéhan Òsanyìn, Director of Arts Education, Arts Corps
Participants formed two bands, Killdeer and The Drift, and got to work learning instruments (some for the very first time). Over the next two weeks they wrote songs and rehearsed together, learning to play while creating the music they would later perform for family and friends.
The bands not only developed a sound, they chose a look of their own too. Through printmaking, youth designed album covers and T-shirts, then stepped in front of the camera and directed their own band photo shoots. Their creative visions were unveiled during a final showcase at The Vera Project as the bands performed original songs and displayed their print work in a pop-up gallery.
“We really appreciate your partnership and support this school year and can’t thank you enough.” — Korrena Cooper-Poe, Youth Development Program Manager, Amara
For us at Arts Corps, this collaboration shows what partnership can make possible when we bring our resources, relationships and teaching together. Young people who had never played an instrument finished camp gaining something real to carry into their next unfamiliar experience: the confidence they can create something worth sharing. That opens up a whole new way to imagine what comes next.
Help keep opportunities like these growing. Thanks to a generous $50,000 matching gift, every returning or increased gift to our annual appeal will be matched. Give at artscorps.org/donate.