Tam High student creators Victor, Glyn, Julia, Jake, Cate, James, Maribel have some words to share with you about their experience writing, directing, producing and performing as an integrated ensemble of young artists from Conservatory Theatre Ensemble and Marin County Office of Education!

“We took two of the most atypical programs in the county, and mashed them together, and it was extraordinary.”

At the beginning, “I was a little afraid of making new friends. I wasn’t sure we would get a long but by week two I felt so welcomed into the process.”

Spring rehearsal

“I liked rehearsing, all the exercises and breaking up the scenes.” Working hard together in rehearsal was “one of the reasons the performance went so well. But even when things on stage didn’t go so well we were there for each other.”

“It went perfectly! I wasn’t nervous. For this one I wasn’t nervous coming into the process knowing whatever happened would happen and it will be great. Something different will happen and you have to react accordingly.”

“It was more about the process more than the product. That is something I’ve learned to value the most.”

Together on stage

My feeling in performance “its good!”  I felt “happy”.  But “the writing part.  I like it cause the writing part was hard, the best.”

“I liked the acting part cause I like to dress up.”

Rehearsing a favorite scene

“It was a different experience. I felt really accomplished afterwards.”

One student was scared to go on stage for his cue with the packed audience. He finally worked up the courage and exited the stage whoop!ing it up! He said afterwards “I felt great!  And happy!  And I did my line!”  He was also quick to praise his classmate’s funny delivery of his lines.

Another student praised her castmate too, “Maribel inspired me.  I know she was always there for me on stage and as a writer.”

“I want to keep doing my lines!”

Actors playing campers

One of the co-directors had an interesting insight; before seeing the play some Tam High peers seemed to plan on “seeing it as if it was a kids show. It was like they didn’t really want to see or really think about it. I don’t know what to do to change that.”  You want to know what to do to change that?  You are doing it!

Other people would say our collaboration is going to be “so cute or sweet.”  When people talked about the play preparation in a patronizing way “I got angry and stopped talking. It was discouraging.”  Another said “you just have to see us working in rehearsal to know our work is just as hard, just as good!” But “The people who saw it and really thought about it, they loved it. They felt something. One guy said he had a horrible day and our play made him happy!  They saw we worked so hard for so long together. We made people think and feel something!  And I think that’s like the whole point of theatre.”

A moment backstage

Feedback on campus was super positive all around. “A lot of people say they heard it was good even if they didn’t see it. People were really talking about it, like, everywhere. Everyone said it was really entertaining to watch.” The audience “liked the ensemble aspect of it. How we were there for each other.”

Castmates and friends

“Everyone was so generous with themselves. Everyone put their peers before themselves but still worked hard on their work, their part of the pie. I think the world could use a little more of that. We put so much of ourselves and risked so much and the audience got to see that.”

“I know what we should do for our next play…”

Well… this project may be over, but high school students of all abilities from across the Bay Area are invited to apply for admission to a groundbreaking new integrated Dramatic Art Project (iDAP). This two-week intensive will be led by a professional artist and will culminate in a live multi-media performance. This is the beginning of the Youth in Arts Performance Company.

Your world isn’t typical.
Your art shouldn’t be either.
Exceptional young people with diverse experiences and abilities collaborate to produce an original piece of dramatic art. Explore elements of playmaking and filmmaking in this exclusive intensive at Youth in Arts in San Rafael this summer. Create an impactful live performance using forms of theatre and digital filmmaking.

Mentor Artist Melissa Jones Briggs will guide a small ensemble of students as they explore their collective authentic dramatic voice. Young artists will also work with professional guest artists to create, design, produce and perform an original piece of dramatic art. The Project meets at Youth in Arts Studio in San Rafael July 22^nd - August 2^nd, M-F, 10AM-3PM.

Many voices, one story: come share yours!
Apply @ youthinarts.org/blog/idap

What is most important to us? That idea should be facing True North, as marking is the most prominent aspect of a compass rose. What is also important? Draw those images around the edges. The Compass Rose can be your signature as a map maker.

Basketballs, puppies, paintbrushes, flowers, baseballs… What can you find in the pictures below? What would point north on your own personal Compass Rose?

This year, “Arts Unite Us” classes are in full gear at Tam High, Terra Linda High, Redwood High and San Ramon Elementary.  Students from Special Day Classrooms are working together with their peers from General Education classrooms, learning art and performing together.  The first culminating event from this year’s classes will be held at Tam High School, where students from Mr. Lovejoy’s Special Day Class and Ben Cleaveland’s Conservatory Theater Ensemble have been working with YIA Mentor Artist Melissa Briggs in Theater. They will be performing their original play “Camping Out in Nature with Friends and Family and Animals” on Friday, May 17th and Saturday, May 18th as part of the Spring One Act Festival.

Students at Terra Linda High have been learning Samba Reggae with Mentor Artists Stephanie Bastos and Nydia Gonzalez and will hold a celebratory presentation dance/party during lunch time on June 4th.  At Redwood High School, students working with YIA Mentor Artist William Rossell will perform their original percussive composition, opening for the Advanced Performance Workshop Concert on May 29th at 7PM.  At San Ramon Elementary, students from Gen Ed and SDC classrooms have been working together with YIA Mentor Artist Suraya Keating, working on their interpretation of a folktale, “The Laughing River”, focusing on Community and Inclusion.

Youth in Arts has raised the funds to provide these programs in our community from a mix of institutional and individual donors.  We thank the Green Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, Kenneth A. Lester Family Foundation, Macy’s and Target for their generous support of this program, as well as our many individual community supporters. If you have any questions about this program, or would would like to support programs such as this one, please contact Nydia Gonzalez at ngonzalez@youthinarts.org

Dance is a powerful art form that allows the true self to shine and be happy. It is a way of communication that transcends any kind of barriers that our ancestors have used for many generations.  It is a way to bring the community together.

After each residency at a school I discover new artists aware of their body and learning to translate their emotion through movements. I saw happy children and teachers who feel safe and confident to share their new dance moves.  I saw respectful middle school students who learned to enjoy partner dancing with their classmates.  And I spent a year working with the Cascade Canyon community who enjoyed traveling and learning about Haiti and other remarkable Caribbean cultures.

I am very thankful that I had the chance to grow up with a mother who is an amazing artist who taught me the passion for dance. And I am so happy to bring my family with me to each residency. My mother Fofo is a singer and dancer, my brother Jeff is a percussionist and my son Hassen is a dancer.  I think it is very important for children to see four generations of family working together as artists, and to understand that dance is for everyone and is the true language of love.

After making a series of paper masks, the K-3 student artists had room for a quick, one-day project. I switched it up…instead of a mask, we made a Super Hero Power Hat, which we pretended would give the wearer a special ability, such as flight or invisibility. The students had a lot of fun constructing and embellishing this special headgear!

Students first explored various clay techniques such as squeezing, rolling, pinching, and smoothing with an air dry clay. Students could create anything they wanted but were encourage to pay close attention to how to make their piece strong. What happens if pieces are too thin? Some solutions for strengthening pieces were demonstrated.

After practicing with the air dry clay, students created animals in a beautiful terra cotta kiln fire clay. For these pieces students also learned how to use clay tools such as a wooden pencil and a metal scratching tool. They practiced the “scratch and attach” technique; a method for attaching two pieces of clay together.

While the clay was in the kiln for the glaze fire students were shown some paper folding techniques and made mini collages. These were great practice for creating a 3-dimensional structure and helped with the construction of the final dioramas of animal habitats.

At the end of the last class together, the animals were placed in their dioramas and the class did a gallery walk. Many students had created habitats so rich in color and detail that the animals were camouflaged.

Angela asked “What do you see?” One girl answered, “Details.” She then asked if they thought details were important in art and if so, why. Here are some answers: “Details make it look more like the real world.” “Details make it beautiful.” “Details give you more information.”

Mentor Teaching Artist Melissa Jones Briggs began the AUU Playmaking Project in Mr. Lovejoy’s MCOE Special Education class with a beginning drama lesson for the whole group. This “Elements of Theatre and Playmaking” mini-class served as an introduction and lay the groundwork for later participation in rehearsals and performance. In breakout sessions a playwright team (formed based on experience) collaborated to write a one-act play. Jones Briggs continually looped Mr. Lovejoy’s class into theatre exercises, read thru’s, etc. to involve them in the playwriting process.

Playmaking inspiration board

Students collaborate on their script

Proud playwrights

Once the play was written, rehearsals began!  The student written play rehearses and performs as part of the Tam High Conservatory Theatre Ensemble’s Spring One Act Play Festival. Other mainstream CTE students joined in at this point and the program opened up to all special needs students interested in participating.

Blocking the play

Rehearsing fun

Early rehearsals

Because the Festival is student-produced, the play is being co-directed by two CTE students. Collaboration between the CTE, MCOE educators and YIA’s teaching artist continues throughout the rehearsal process and also includes at times a YIA visual artist Suzanne Joyal, MCOE Speech Pathologist Sophie Miles, department chairs, among others.

Please join us for the performance!  Friday May 17th and Saturday May 18th @ 7PM!  Caldwell Theatre 700 Miller Ave. (Near the back parking lot) Mill Valley, CA. Tickets available at the door only.