Boston City TV, MA Equity and Inclusion Cabinet, 1 Jun 2023

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From YouTube: Artivism: Year 2

Description

In its second year the Artivism Student Project, an initiative that focuses on the power of youth voice and art as a tool for social inquiry, the students will focus on Black People on the rise. The project was birthed out of the Mayor's Office of Resilience & Racial Equity in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture, The Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion and artist collective, The Artist Initiative for Revolution in 2022. The students will use their chosen medium to describe and tell their stories to the community about racial equity, social justice and resilience.
Blue Bird Productions LLC
Bluebirdproductionsgroup.com

A

Welcome everybody and good evening.

B

I launched this organization to really mobilize young people working professional artists in service to Grassroots movements.

A

Art dance well, art is Art right, dance, visual arts. You could tell it's been a long week with your kids. Can you talk? Okay, um dance, poetry, Visual, Arts and Music.

B

And so the essence of this program, which is a collaboration between the office and air, is um really all about centering the artist's voice and unpacking stories as a way for them to really guide uh and influence the art that they're creating.

A

Art is life, art is life, and we need that here in Boston, especially for the little.

C

My name is August, my artist name is September and I'm. Also 13.

D

It's hard to change basically,.

C

um We were doing something that would make Boston better and I just thought more trees, because we need more nature.

B

But that's the power of music and they can just take you and transcend you into places. You ain't never been before.

B

And so how we chose to reflect that through ART was to have them write their own songs.

E

uh I drew to think of the children, because some Society or like adults, they don't really care or think much about the children and they create things of the world and they mess up the world, not thinking of the people or the generations that come after them.

E

One two three.

F

And you also don't have to use your voice. You know, music is great. Poetry is great, Visual Arts is great, but for those who just cannot speak like right now, I'm literally about to cry right, but for those who cannot speak, you move and they're going to Showcase what they've been working on I give them time to choreograph. So this is like their stuff for real I'm. Just you know making sure it looks good yeah.

C

Joy is like meeting your Heroes. Joy is like doing what you love. Joy is like being blind and finally being able to see or hearing attribution stories.

D

Feeling imprisoned in my body because this girl didn't know she was a part of Nigerian Community for 48 years. My mother longed to know her origin, her family origin, granny never knew she claimed to be mixed. Mommy tells me people say she looks Ethiopian I.

G

Am Dominican the island flows through my veins grew up hating every single thing about myself stacking up every feeling inside my head, like some Jenga game, an infinite round since grandma always said decent girls. Don't laugh loud so.

A

When we talk about intergenerational activities, art and culture, this.

G

Is what structure that keep us strong taken for granted when Society doesn't consider you home.

H

We first started with low self-esteem about our art, saying: oh, we can't be as good as being Mike he's too cool he's too cool for us, but now, but now.

G

You are enough, you are capable, you are loved. I know the world lacks kindness and life keeps back in your pretty face, but I need you to open your eyes, those Majestic lenses, no matter what color they are I need you to see the Masterpiece standing in front of the glass shape precious Spirit Radiance of life baby. You shine, I invite you to heal every negative word address to your beautiful self.

G

Every comparison to a scream, the TV or a magazine I. Invite you to embrace yourself smile with every muscle of your face, admire your growth. Look, who you've become step by step. Your metamorphosis has just begun and even when the Cocoon doesn't feel like home, remember to self-love.

A

Y'all can make more noise than that give it up for these kids.

A