Young Audiences of WNY is concluding a third year providing Writing for Life to young people, with major support from the John R. Oishei Foundation and in partnership with Renaissance Campus and Compass House Resource Center.
Renaissance Campus and Compass House Resource Center serve young people who are recovering from drug addictions, escaping unsafe home environments or life on the streets. This unusual collaboration is a natural partnership: each organization strives to enhance young people’s development and learning and increase their sense of self-worth in order to provide them with the tools to be successful and productive individuals within their communities.
Writing for Life is a 10 to 12 week residency with writer/ poet, Sherry Robbins and visual artist Kristen Crosson. The students were lead through writing and visual arts workshops; they were inspired through found imagery and create poetry and related visual art. Gayle Danley, an award winning slam poet who deals with grief and healing, loss, urban life, and the importance of friendships, presented workshops and a performance to kick off the residency.
Read Student poetry here. In the poem “Imprisoned,” students wrote:
loud, impulsive
she smiles
down, gone and out.
She went berserk for awhile.
neurotransmitters- Malfunction
radioactive- Brainwaves
infuriating! Pulsating!
Writing for Life concluded at Renaissance Campus with a final reading by participants for family, friends, staff, and appropriate community members, followed by a small reception to celebrate their achievements.
Approximately 250 young people have been served for each of the three years the residency has been offered. The Peter C. Cornell Trust, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, New York State Alliance for Arts Education, the Partners for Arts Education Technical Assistance Program, and the Baird Foundation have provided additional support for this program. Writing for Life originated in 2002 with support from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. We thank the John R. Oishei Foundation for their long term support.
