Cohort 1

The 2018 cohort (Cohort 1) created the following definition of youth cultural heritage (YCH): YCH is the dynamic, ongoing, inter-generational understanding and ownership of our past and culture to ground/anchor ourselves in the present and use as a compass to create and inform the future.

Cyrano’s Theatre – East High Drama Students Project

Cyrano’s Theatre Company worked with the drama department at East High School and theatre teacher Jill Best. Each spring, EHS drama students write and perform their own original plays, and Cyrano’s wanted to amplify this program by collaborating and providing professional playwright workshops, student access to professional theatre production such as props and set design, and space for students to practice and perform. In addition, participating EHS students focused their plays on issues important to them and their families, exploring family dynamics and different parts of their cultural heritage.

McLaughlin Youth Center – Student Art Classes and Mural Project

McLaughlin Youth Center (MYC) held a series of art workshops over ten weeks for twelve students to explore several mediums including pastels, graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, acrylic paint, and oil paints. As they experimented in these mediums, the youth created visual projects related to their cultural heritage and their personal narrative and history as Alaska youth. Throughout the period of workshops, the youth worked with their art instructors to develop a plan for a mural that brought the cultural heritage theme to a final cohesive image, which was unveiled in the MYC cafeteria for permanent display.

First Light Alaska – Mt. Edgecumbe Native Arts Workshops

First Light Alaska offered a three-week series of native arts workshops to youth attending Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. The series provided seven workshops in total from visiting Alaska Native artist-instructors in mediums ranging from ivory carving to traditional music and dance. These workshops provided traditional and contemporary arts engagement for native students who were away from home as well as supplemented arts activities and curriculum that Mount Edgecumbe does not have access to or funding for.

Keys to Life – Eyes Closed Project

Keys to Life created an exhibition called Eyes Closed which is a collection of dreams, stories, and photographs from twenty-one young children of color who live in Anchorage. Of those twenty-one youth, sixteen were selected for exhibit panels that were displayed throughout public spaces in Anchorage. The public unveiling of the panels was featured at a First Friday event in the Anchorage Museum and allowed community members to hear the perspectives of different youth and share their own experiences. Lastly, a book was developed from the panels and was gifted to Anchorage schools and libraries.