| Greetings to the B4 Youth Theatre Family, Monday, June 22, B4 Youth Theatre successfully launched the Global Youth Arts Collaborative Healthy Lives Training Initiative. Fifteen youth artists from countries around the globe including, the United States, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, and Liberia joined online to engage in discussions about COVID-19 in their local communities, racial inequality, hunger, lack of access technology, and lack of education. These young people have interest and experience in film making, costume design, and theatre. Furthermore, the program was hosted by the B4YT team in Liberia and Jocelyn, the International Program Director. Silas Juaquellie, the Liberian National Director had and moderated the group discussions along with other youth arts instructors from Liberia. The GYACHLTI is a virtual masterclass program designed to develop and improve the participants' skills in film making and theatre. Artists have a unique role in society: they can rapidly share information, start conversations in their local communities, and embed concerns from their local communities in their art. Based on lessons learned from our community-based arts intervention during the Liberian 2014-2015 Ebola crisis, GYACHLTI serves to take our community organizing model to the virtual stage. At the end of this series, the students will have the tools necessary to produce COVID-19 prevention videos in their language. In addition, thanks to our arts mentors and general sponsors: Vital Voices, Tresseme, and Well-Being and Equity-Bridging (WEB) Network. We appreciate your contribution to GYACHLTI. Please see the arts mentors' profile and schedule for the upcoming classes below. For inquiries and contributions, please reach out to us at programs@b4youththeatre.org or click the donate button below. | |
