THE PLAYERS:
Zachary Scott Theatre-the Austin theatre producing High School Musical. Dave Steakley/Artistic Director.
The Latinitas-the East Austin non-profit organization focused on informing, entertaining, and inspiring young Latinas to grow into healthy, confident, and successful Latinas. MISSION: To empower Latina youth through media and technology. VISION: That all Latinas are strong and confident in their image.
The Austin-American Statesman-the influential newspaper and online resource for Central Texans.
The Texas School for the Deaf-the campus who worked with ZACH to host this record-breaking performance.
OBJECTIVES:
Bring together key players for a social experiment of sorts combining youth, art and the community.
Create an atmosphere of peer-to-peer influence surrounding the production of High School Musical.
Give youth a large-scale and public platform for their voices and opinions.
Allow a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what goes into bringing a production to stage.
Expose art to groups who may not have had previous opportunities.
Engage a generation of new faces in the participation and enjoyment of art.
Create an open dialogue so that youth and under-represented groups might express opinions on moving Austin art in new directions.
RESULTS:
A mutli-faceted project documented in a blog hosted by The Austin-American Statesman celebrating the power of community collaboration.
A historical record-breaking ticket sales experience.
A full-spectrum community media involvement.
An expressed youthful revelation that art isn't just for "others."
An insightful glance into the "process" and satisfaction of making art.
A dialogue on the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in art. Expressly, the awareness of ethnicity, gender and size.
A documentation of empowerment and enlightenment through artistic expression.
The chance for media to report on the financial and social successes of a community working together to create, engage in, support and experience ART!
Think big, think together!
Kelley Burrus
If you have a case study you would like to share, please contact me directly-kburrus@austin.rr.com
