We’re going to let the students toot their own horn here and tell you about their success!

Students acknowledge their cheering (standing!) audience

“I was so happy at the end.  We crafted that play out of nothing.  I’m just so proud of everything we’ve done.  Not just the performance, the whole process.  So many people have come up to me… the audience was shocked.  I mean, we got a standing ovation!”  - Glyn

Students rehearse the blocking for a lift at the end of the play

“I feel proud… I know what to do!”  -Jake

Students perform the lift onstage in "Her Face to the Sky"

“It was really good [to be onstage.] The lift was hard.  I felt kinda nervous, and proud.  Proud of myself.” -Maribel

Performing together onstage at Tamalpais High School

“It’s not about just me.  I have to pay attention and observe.  I have to work together as a group.” – Monica

Waiting to greet family & friends in the Theatre lobby

“My whole family was so impressed with what we did.  It was special because of the collaboration.” -Allison

Students celebrate with friends, family & teachers

“I have to say, I felt famous!” -Tevin

Among the reasons Tevin felt famous was an article in their local paper about their work.  He also may have been responding to an enhanced profile on this sprawling campus.  Over the weeks of rehearsal and performance more and more of their student peers, unrelated to the project, reached out to them.  Stopping Tevin in the hall to ask when the show was, dropping by Mr. Lovejoy’s class on the way to lunch to say hi to Jake, or asking Maribel how rehearsal were going.  And campus feedback following the performance only fueled further integration and dialogue.  Monica’s response to congratulations from her peers on the performance was to remind them of their playmaking process:

“I always tell people,‘Thanks, we WROTE it!’ and they are just like:  ‘HOW?!’  It’s such a hard thing to do but we wrote a great play!”

A board in the Theatre lobby depicts the playmaking process

Feedback from students, teachers, administrators, and department/ district heads was glowing.  We hope to be able to expand this opportunity for collaboration in communities throughout the Bay Area.  Theatre integrates our inherent creativity and need to connect with the continued development of communication and life skills. It bridges seemingly vast gaps in our abilities and income levels – helping students see the we in a world full of me.  Plus, its “crazy fun”!  Reactions, like Glyn’s below, to the rigorous curriculum, rehearsals and high artistic standards of this arts integration project epitomize our goal:

“It was so rewarding at the end.  I was so happy and proud of everyone!”

So were we.

Youth in Arts is dedicated to serving youth of all abilities with high quality arts programming.  We created the Arts Unite Us program with seed funds from the Special Hope Foundation, and this project at Tam High has been supported by grants from the Green Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation. We are grateful for their generous support.  For more information on how you can support this type of programming, visit our support page, or visit our store at 917  C St. in downtown San Rafael.

`Til Dawn 2010

`Til Dawn Director Austin Willacy will receive a 2010 Avanti Award from the Joseph and Frances Brucia Foundation. Granted in the field of performing and visual arts, the Avanti Awards enable outstanding artists to pursue their dreams. Austin’s award will provide much-needed scholarship funds for `Til Dawn students.

The 2010 Avanti Awards will be presented on Friday, January 15 at a dinner celebration at the Mill Valley Community Center with `Til Dawn performing. Tickets are required.

Earlier the same evening, `Til Dawn will open a performance at 142 Throckmorton by Austin and his award-winning a cappella rock band The House Jacks.

Initiated in 2007, the Avanti Awards carry forward a Brucia family legacy of support for the arts. Giuseppe Brucia, in his desire to bring opera to San Francisco, generously financed the founding of the San Francisco Opera in 1919. Years later, Joseph and Frances Brucia funded the first free simulcast of the San Francisco Opera in Civic Center Park.

Austin Willacy

For tickets to the 2010 Avanti Awards dinner, contact the Joseph and Frances Brucia Foundation at 415-456-8611.

Tickets to 142 Throckmorton are available online or call 415.383.9600

YIA Mentor Artist Marty Meade has been working with Jennifer Hammond’s Special Day Class in Mill Valley through our VSA arts program, creating colorful and original fused glass art.  Marty is a master of glass art, teaching the art form at the College of Marin and in schools throughout the area.  Marty enjoys bringing students a variety of materials, encouraging them to go beyond ‘the limits’.

Creating glass art through VSA arts

Ms. Hammond has students with a range of abilities including Down Syndrome and Austism.  Youth in Arts provides subsidized funding so that students of all abilities have the opportunity to create and communicate through art.

“The students in my Special Day Class have fully enjoyed their experience this year with Youth in Arts. For the very first time they were given the experience of working with glass and creating one of a kind hand-made glass pieces. Simply watching the students open their packages with their finished work was awe-inspiring.   Their eyes lit up when they saw what beautiful art they had made. The day they received their necklaces every student wore theirs proudly throughout the day showing it off to anyone who would listen. I even went around to show other teachers what great pieces my class had made! What a great experience for these students! Pride and honor continue to be the best success for positive self esteem.”  Jennifer Hammond, SDC Teacher

Students were eager to show off their amazing artwork

Youth in Arts is collaborating with the Marin Youth Center (MYC) for their art exhibit “Exposure III” to take place on December 4th at 6:30PM.  One of Marty’s students, Rae, decided to share her piece for the art exhibit at the MYC.  Since Rae has Autism, she is usually hesitant to interact with new people, but after a few classes with Marty, she has fully engaged in the art experience.

“Rae’s story was very moving to me, as she isolated herself for the others and immersed her self into a book.   When I gave her the scratch art paper she accepted it immediately and began to draw faces that revealed her connection to the outside world….  she participated in the glass project the following week, and again drew on the paper.   On the day that she offered her piece to be hung, she had been crying and wanted to go home…. she calmed down when she joined us, and did another piece.

We weren’t expecting her to be enthusiastic about exhibiting her art-work, and were all happily surprised when she said yes.” Marty Meade, YIA Mentor Artist

If you would like to see Rae and other student work from our Youth in Arts programs, join us at the MYC, 1115 Third St in San Rafael, on December 4th at 6PM.