Lead On!
Will Power to Youth’s program makes digital art & activism for summer 2020
While social distancing may restrict our in-person gatherings, the 28 year old, White House-awarded Will Power to Youth program is not daunted. Especially in 2020, in the middle of the Black Lives Matter Movement, it is as important as it was in 1992 (when Will Power to Youth was founded in response to the Rodney King Protests) to create space for LA’s youth to explore and practice social justice.
Determined to nurture and celebrate young voices virtually, Shakespeare Center LA created “Lead On!”. The 2- week zoom online program is designed to build future leadership for Will Power to Youth and other community programs that engage young people in a creative process. Lead On! offered a select group of promising young leaders, or Fellows, the opportunity to learn program design and teaching artistry alongside Senior Will Power artists. The 2020 program incorporated the development of scripted works inspired by the 12 social injustices that Shakespeare lists in his Sonnet 66 “Tired of All These”. Participants investigated current social justice issues and in groups created multi-media pieces including poetry, original music, found and original video, new social media accounts, and collaborative scripts that reflected the thoughts and passions of these rising leaders.
Below check out the Final Projects from the teams including from the video and poetry from the team “Stain”.