Art in Action Youth Leadership Program

Dear Art in Action Friends and Family, Wow! What a powerful evening we shared on Sunday! On behalf of our host Darian Rodriguez Heyman and all of us at Art in Action, we thank you for joining us for our 3rd, Youth Voices Rising House Party. The gathering was a transformative moment for us Art in Action-ista's. Thanks for helping energize the evening, and for your love and support of youth empowerment. It was awesome to witness our young people share with you so candidly about how our programs have positively impacted their lives. For those of you who could not make it, please check out the video link to hear and see the music, poetry and incredible youth testimonials from the party! http://blip.tv/file/136859/ or at www.myspace.com/artinactionmusic We offer huge thanks to those of you who made such generous contributions to our work. Special thanks to our distinguished speakers, John and Ocean Robbins, our veggie chef, Bryant Terry, co-author of 'GRUB' our wonderful co-hosts, our talented youth performers, and to all of our amazing guests! Our goal is to raise $10,000 this quarter. Our house party got us halfway there! It is not too late to partner with us to achieve our goals and uplift the youth leaders of our times! You or your friends, family or business can send contributions to us at: 519 42nd St., Oakland, CA 94609. Make checks payable to YES!, with Art in Action in the memo line, donations are tax-deductible. Or check out our website: www.artinactioncamp.org for ways to donate. The collective is overjoyed to see how our work is sustaining youth communities beyond our annual summer camp. We are excited about our new partnership with David Levy at Mayacamas Ranch, for the 2007 summer leadership camp, and our ongoing partnerships with Darian Rodriguez Heyman and all of our friends on the Host Committee. We look forward to meeting these goals and more in 07-08: - Weekend workshops on Digital Storytelling and Audio/Music Production! - "Silence The Violence" poetry and hip-hop music performances! - Increased paid positions for organizers and youth! - Taking our performance & workshops on the road! - Southwest and Washington D.C. leadership camps! Not everyone is in a position to make a financial contribution at this time, but there are other ways to support the vision. 1.    Host a house party - share Art in Action with your friends and colleagues. 2.    Donate food or art supplies (talk to us about what we need). 3.    Talk to colleagues and other businesses about our work - spread the word! 4.    Provide tickets to events - we want our youth to see important art, theater and film. 5.    Donate auction items for fundraisers: massage, art, restaurant gift certificates, etc. 6.    Help us find a free space to store our giant puppets and art supplies, or help us underwrite the space we are currently using. 7.    Donate Macintosh laptop computers and other digital media equipment for our new media programs. Many Thanks, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Host of Youth Voices Rising & Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation Xiomara Castro, Co-Founder, Director of Operations Alli Chagi-Starr, Co-Founder, Development and Events Director Maryam Roberts, Co-Founder, Media Arts Program Director Galen Peterson, Co-Founder, Music Program Director Alicia Raquel, Youth Coordinator Here's an inspiring poem that Alicia, our new Youth Coordinator, wrote for the occasion: Till It's a Song By Alicia Raquel (Art in Action Graduate, 2005) Becuz I'm not ready to give up yet Becuz living for a cause does more than dying for one Becuz I see possibility like the cement under Peeling paint. Barely hidden. Look. Becuz rhythm pulls on me Churns my muscles Becuz rhythm pulls on me Makes my throat ache to be open Becuz we were meant to thrive Becuz 3 days ago I stood in front of 200 kids in jail Arms held behind backs & I sang them a love song of course you matter & yes I see you & these walls can't stand forever & some upturned faces sang back. Becuz people like Tubman returned. Again, again & again. Becuz chains can be broken. Becuz my primo writes songs that make me like myself better, Serves healthy Puerto Rican food in East Oakland And we laugh until our sides hurt Till our laughing is a harmony to the Sirens The breaking glass Till it's a song Like a mirror/pen/scalpel/sword to cut through fog and barbed wire Becuz certain people who I luv get up every morning so far Still breathing After 12, 20, 32 years of the cold parts of this world trying to squeeze out all The air Becuz I'm still breathing & since I gotta exhale anyway Why not sing about freedom?

Dear Friends, Check out the video of our latest event: Youth Voices Rising, a celebration of Art in Action entering it's seventh year! It was held at the home of Darian Rodriguez Heyman, executive director of Craigslist Foundation.

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