Creative youth development organizations in San Diego use the arts to improve young people’s lives
Khalil Bleux is the founder of Arts Amplifying Youth, a Southeast San Diego-based collective of artists and teachers dedicated to improving the lives of young people in underserved communities of color through what has become known as creative youth development.
Creative youth development organizations supported by grants and donations are intricately connected to their communities’ young people, using all of the arts as a means of teaching life skills. Some groups work onsite with schools or in residencies; others operate completely outside of the classroom environment. Their teachers and leaders are often San Diego arts professionals giving of their time.
Creative arts development is arts education, “only a lot cooler,” said Brandon Steppe, founder of the 15-year-old David’s Harp Foundation. “That’s what it comes down to.” Music is one way to guide young people through the trials of growing up and the struggle to find themselves and their paths in life. So are the theater, literary and performing arts taught by Khalil Bleux’s organization.“It’s a unique art form in that it brings embodiment,” said Catherine Corral, co-founder and executive artistic director of the Lemon Grove-based transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project.
“The young generation is questioning norms and values that have been upheld in mainstream society in a deeper way,” explained Corral. “Social justice issues, issues of racial equality, issues around queer identity — all issues they want to talk about and think critically about. They need a safe space to have conversations about them without judgment.”The notion of movement being liberating is true as well at the Escondido-based A Step Beyond.
“We’re within walking distance for most of our youths,” Oliver said. “We do go into the schools, but we mostly get our youths from our current youths. A lot of families pass our name around to their families and friends. We have cousins and aunties and nieces and sisters and brothers.”
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