Introducing Cohort 2 of the 2020 Adobe Project Grant
We are pleased to introduce the new cohort of the Adobe Project Grant! These eight creative youth organizations have found innovative ways to continue connecting and inspiring their young creatives during the global COVID 19 pandemic. These organizations have revamped their in-person programming structure for online delivery. By utilizing various virtual tools and resources, these virtual programs are providing young creatives with a space to connect, collaborate, and create.
Meet the new eight organization grantees and learn how they are continuing to create pathways for equitable access to creative education, careers, and industry during this unprecedented time:
DreamYard Project, Inc. (New York, USA) has revamped its Work-Based Learning (WBL) program to virtually engage young creatives as the narrators, creators, and designers of their community and stories. These participants are studying design, gaming, music production, documentary reporting, and digital art as career pathways, looking at the education, skills, and tools needed to advance in the creative industry. The program lead, a DreamYard graduate, has reimagined this program to create a digital space where 200+ Bronx high school students will be connected to employer and post-secondary partners.
First Exposures (California, USA) has re-imagined its summer FX Youth Residency Program to be delivered virtually. The young creatives will work with mentors to advance their photographic skills at an accelerated pace, to delve deeper into more advanced techniques, to gain business and fiscal management skills, and to develop portfolios of their work. Accepted participants in the FX Youth Residency Program will be able to borrow laptops with Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suite. These young creatives and the mentors will connect using Zoom and utilize breakout rooms for mentors and mentees to work together in small groups before returning to the primary session.
Littleglobe, Inc. (New Mexico, USA) has revamped the curriculum of their ¡Presente! Project for virtual delivery and engagement. The new curriculum includes a framework for implementing a digital storytelling project, and includes story prompts, creative activities, digital tools and a platform for submitting content that amplifies stories about belonging, home and community. In partnership with the Santa Fe Art Institute and The University of New Mexico, a digital platform using Google Earth will amplify these stories, and provide a visual map of stories of residents throughout Santa Fe.
Media Arts Center San Diego (California, USA) Teen Producers Project (TPP) and Advanced Teen Producers Project (ATPP) are digital media training, arts, and leadership outreach programs for teens and young adults from San Diego area schools. These programs have been restructured to be delivered online where participants are learning basic principles of the art of documentary filmmaking. By the end of the program, the participants will have learned the skills to produce 2 to 3 minute documentary videos about their communities. These mini short films will be shared with audiences around the world, strengthening and amplifying the stories and voices of young creatives.
Organization for Youth Empowerment (Honduras) is facilitating a youth-led graphic design and communications media program that provides local, young creatives the skills to produce compelling and high-quality media on issues that matter to them. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the program coordinators implemented several creative strategies to keep the participants virtually engaged and continuing learning these skills. From a WhatsApp group chat, to weekly program meet-ups on Zoom video conferencing calls, and even one-on-one individual calls, OYE’s young creatives are continuing to create media on current issues, such as the stay at home orders set by their local government.
Venice Arts (California, USA) project Grounded: Homeless Perspectives is a multi-channel film project that will be created by Venice Arts’ Advanced Studies Film students. These young creatives will be exploring experimental, non-narrative filmmaking to produce short films that capture the stories of young people, and others, living on the streets. Following the current physical distancing and health guidelines, the young creatives are meeting online with teaching artists and mentors for advanced filmmaking workshops on project development, research, and pre-production planning. Venice Arts is also collaborating with SPY, a local nonprofit organization serving homeless youth in Venice Beach, to conduct remote interviews with homeless youths.
Women’s Voices Now (California, USA) will deliver their Girls’ Voices Now program virtually over the summer. This will be a three week long program where participants will explore the consequences, challenges and potential short or long-term opportunities created by the current global pandemic and lockdown in their lives and/or community. The enrolled young people will also receive laptops and supplies needed for producing their short films. To produce these short films, young people will virtually work closely with Media Chaperones on producing these short-films.
Zeal Education Trust (Hamilton, New Zealand) is launching a new pilot creative program with the goal of empowering and creating a space for young people to address and document social issues in their community through the medium of film. To provide young people space, and support them with dealing with unexpected changes due to COVID 19, the program will focus on the topic of “What young people want and need in times like these.’’ The participants will be producing 5–10 videos of themselves, telling community leaders what they want and need as support. Through virtual classes, the participants are working on their storyline, storyboard, script for a voice over/interview style documentary, and conversing with local leaders for content for their project.
In the coming months use #TIGcreates to follow the journey of these creative youth organizations as they share project highlights and media produced by their young creatives! TakingITGlobal is pleased to partner with Adobe to manage the Adobe Creativity Grants.
