Beginning on June 11, VOICES will host I Am Me: A Youth Queer Voices Residency, a new eight-week youth artist project for young people, ages 12-18, happening on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Stepping Stones. Students will explore the nuances of identity, belonging and community in a supportive environment with peers and mentors.
While it’s already underway, there are still a few open spots for teen participants. The program will conclude with a celebration of learning on the VOICES ARTery stage at The Painted Pig on Aug. 2 as part of the First Friday festivities. Additionally, the program facilitators, MinTze Wu and Micha Schoepe, will select a handful of the participants to join the core ensemble of the Queer VOICES Theater Project in the fall.
“The core of the entire thing is a collaboration with various artists. I want to create a place where people feel safe and let them know that it is normal to be in touch with their emotions and do a deep inquiry into these emotions,” Schoepe stated. “I anticipate a lot of the time spent will be joyful and fun, and I anticipate, and hope, that we will also get moments where we encourage tougher emotions.”
Participants will explore their own stories through a plethora of activities taught by community members involved with the arts. This includes theater antics with Bryan Alvarez-Terrazas and Gabriela Alvarez-Espinoza, breathwork and movement courses with Olivia Pevec, writing with Raleigh Burleigh and James Steindler of The Sopris Sun, visual artistry with Anjanette Garcia, photography with Samantha Freese and the creation of a mini-documentary with Jem Moore and Claudia Pawl.
“We’re here to offer a whole spectrum of artistic expressions for them to see how they want to tell their stories,” said Wu. “We have an absolutely stellar lineup of teaching artists who are compassionate and creative and want to go on this journey with the youth.”
When discussing the program’s importance, the facilitators mentioned that it is all about inclusion and fostering an environment where young community members can tell their stories — if they so desire and are ready.
“Like every VOICES project, we only encourage the stories that are ready to be told when we’re asking all the participants to come up with a piece to be showcased,” Wu clarified. “We want this to be a celebration. I think when you feel that a space is safe and when you’re ready to go to the places of revelation, reflection or being honest with yourself, the story emerges.”
Schoepe reiterated that the residency could be a primer for the second iteration of the Queer VOICES Theatre Project later this year.
“I don’t see the camp as an eight-week audition process, and I don’t want anyone to feel it is. I trust that after that time … that a couple of the participants might just be the perfect fit for what’s going to happen in the fall,” Schoepe shared. “Plus, we will already have a trusting and working relationship … I just look forward to the discovery.”
Because the process of creating a VOICES show is organic, Schoepe said that it’s key to wait for the stories to reveal themselves. He and everyone involved with facilitating the program want to avoid putting unfavorable pressure on whatever stories come up during the creation process leading up to sharing at The Painted Pig.
“For the youths participating, you can expect an incredibly life-changing exploration into yourselves,” Schoepe concluded.
To register for I Am Me, visit www.voicesrfv.org