We provide art making opportunities for youth to cultivate wellness and advocate for social change. Our vision is that Wisconsin youth see themselves as learners through art making. We believe in the power of the arts to engage youth in learning as agents of creativity, intellect, and self-efficacy and that engaged students, empowered teachers, and art making can improve well-being and change communities.
Programs include:
Drum Power - Drum & dance leadership development
Drum Power provides drum & dance leadership development programs for children and youth, featuring the advance performing youth group and the annual Drum & Dance Camp. Drum Power shapes programming to fit educators’ specific needs for participants, working with staff to build lesson plans and schedules. Programs include: participant-led discussions, journal writing, community service, assessment/evaluation, performances, regular meetings with staff and parental involvement.
Performing Ourselves - Empowering youth through dance
The only program of its kind, we are a dance outreach program teaching a movement-based curriculum to students in schools and community centers. We combine dance education, dance/movement therapy principles, and performance to encourage embodiment, resiliency, and a positive self-concept in underserved youth. While doing this, we provide undergraduate dance majors with valuable teaching and community experience.
Whoopensocker - Creativity, expression, writing, and collaboration
Whoopensocker is an education residency focused on creativity, expression, writing, and collaboration. It is also a dynamic community building experience for the whole class. Using a combination of performing and creative arts exercises, Whoopensocker’s ensemble of teaching artists bring in a toolbox of new ideas that work toward building the next generation of classroom experiences and focus on self-empowering all students. This six week residency was designed for elementary schools developed by Dr. Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, UW-Madison School of Education in partnership with Theatre LILA.
FauHaus - Bodies, Minds, Senses, and the Arts
FauHaus brings togetherdiverse UW-Madison students and court-involved Dane county teens to collaboratively develop a socially engaged art exhibition under the guidance of Associate Professor Faisal Abdu’Allah.
