Youth Voices Rising: South End Stories

All year long, South End Stories students pour themselves into creative projects through performing, writing, filming, and producing work that reflects their stories, cultures, and perspectives. Youth Voices Rising is the celebration of that work.

Join us at the Rainier Arts Center for an afternoon of theatre, music, dance, poetry, and more- all brought to life by young artists. You’ll also have the chance to participate in art making through an interactive collage-making workshop, record your stories in our storytelling booth, connect with community resources, and enjoy dinner and refreshments together.

This is a free, all-ages event and a joyful reminder of what young people can create when they are given the space, support, and freedom to tell their own stories.

This showcase celebrates and features artwork created by participating youth from:

• Cleveland High School, Professional Artist Residency (Film)
• Garfield High School, Professional Artist Residency (Theater and Costuming)
• Franklin High School, Professional Artist Residency (Theater, Music and Dance)
• Meany Middle School, Stage Club (Theater, Music, Dance and Theater Tech)
• Concord International Elementary School, South Park Superpowered Storytelling
• The Learning Place at Holgate Church, Storytelling Club
• James Baldwin Elementary School, Storytellers Club (film, comics and movement)
• Cascade View Elementary School, Multilingual Musical Migration Stories (music, storytelling)

“At our James Baldwin Winter Session Film Festival, a student reluctantly agreed to screen her film – nervous it wasn’t polished enough – but when the room erupted with joy watching it, her face lit up with pride. That moment transformed her: a student who had sometimes disengaged from the work suddenly understood the power of what she had created and her role in making it. It’s a reminder that young people don’t just need the skills to tell their stories, they need the experience of an audience receiving those stories to fully believe in their own voice.”

Let’s make powerful art together, and celebrate the stories our youth tell. See you there!

South End stories is a trauma-conscious and antiracist arts education nonprofit organization serving students and educators throughout King County, Washington. We encourage critical thought to stimulate artistic expression and exploration of identity. Through our work, we aim to guide students towards a collaborative style of learning, giving them tools to share their stories through multiple means of expression.