This is what we put in original proposal for the program.
HIP HOP
Hip-hop is a movement. It began as a way for forgotten young people in New York City — overwhelmingly Black and Latino and poor — to find ways to have fun. Hip-hop provided a means for invisible young people to make themselves known, to represent themselves, and to make their voices heard. Today, it is THE most powerful cultural force on the planet at this moment and it is a language in which young people are already fluent, because it is the culture that best represents their generation.Unfortunately, hip-hop's cultural potential has been mis-used many times in many grievous ways, leading to the notoriously negative reputation that hip-hop culture now endures. Like many art forms, hip-hop has been twisted into a grotesque misrepresentation of its merits. Some of the elements of hip-hop (especially rap music) have been used to create escapist entertainment of the worst kind, leading some parents and educators to equate it with violence, crime, and licentious behavior.
Those distortions, however, are not true hip-hop. They are low art. It's unfortunate that the mainstream media tends to ignore the most artistic and conscious segments of the culture. Hip-hop at its best is art of the highest plane. Whether you're a slam poet from Brooklyn, a middle-aged graffiti-artist in Europe, an adolescent breakdancer in Cuba, a 10-year old rapper in South Africa, or a young woman from Britain, storming stages the world over, hip-hop is about empowerment, finding the joy, and speaking the truth. It's about making the most of your circumstances and making something out of nothing. It's a constructive art form with aspirations for building a better, more affirmative way of life.
THE PLAN
A group of young people will spend a number of weeks in after-school classes that incorporate hip-hop themes and elements into theatre, writing, and ViewPoints actor training.In the theatre classes, kids will learn to speak confidently in front of a group by working on scenes from great plays and well as performing their own creations. In addition, we'll explore performing poetry, both traditional poems and hip-hop influenced "slam" poetry.
ViewPoints is an actor training method that encourages connection and collaboration while enabling a group to work together honestly in a safe and supportive environment. It focuses on movement exercises as a way of creating a positive group bond quickly and effectively.
In their writing classes, students will be encouraged to write about what's on their minds in poetry, dramatic scenes, monologues, and essays. All students, regardless of their skill level, will be encouraged to express themselves on paper, through words. In addition, students will study classic texts and hip-hop texts side-by-side, tracing the path from William Butler Yeats to Langston Hughes to Gil-Scot Heron to Jay-Z.
This work will culminate in a production completely written and performed by the students. Even the technical roles (sound, lights, costumes, scenic art) can filled by the students. Elements of hip-hop (rapping, music production, dancing, and urban-influenced visual art) will be combined with work from the classes to create a vibrant new show by, for, and about these young people. The show will be shared at the schools, for the students' peers, and at the Columbus Performing Arts Center for a public audience.
We will work hard to create a context of high expectations. We'll push the kids to talk about big issues, subjects that are larger than just their lives. We'll encourage them to be community-minded, and to think about the bigger picture. In true hip-hop spirit, we will help them find the best parts of themselves so they can move the crowd.
THE STAFF
Geoff Martin and Matt Slaybaugh's work with the Columbus-based theatre companies BlueForms Theatre Group and Available light [theatre] focuses on the creation of original works with a conscience. These groups take as their mission the building of a more conscious and compassionate world through the creation of joyful and profound theatre.Collaboration is at the center of their works, and was exemplified in their work with the Davis Programs on "Grow", in which a group of teen-aged students wrote and created a 60-minute theatre piece about the challenges and rewards of becoming an adult.
Other staff members will be collaborators from BlueForms and Available Light - experienced, compassionate artists well-versed in their process of collaborative creation.Steven C. Anderson, Artistic Director of the Phoenix Theatre for Children and Consultant for Theatre Development at the Davis Performing Arts Programs will be provide assistance in planning, implementation and evaluation of this project.