Youth-Led Performing Arts Program

• Original Idea Voted on by New Yorker: A project to provide tenants' rights workshops and legal aid to empower Bronx residents to create their own housing advocacy groups.

• Implementing Organization: DreamYard Project

• Neighborhoods: Morrisania, Crotona, Soundview, Clason Point, Castle Hill, and Unionport

• Funding Amount: $200,000

The responses below are directly from the community organizations selected to implement The People’s Money projects.

How does your organization plan to bring this idea to life?

DreamYard will implement the Youth-Led Performing Arts Program in the Bronx. Youth participants will design and lead performance projects with guidance from professional teaching artists. Programming will take place at DreamYard’s Art Center and partner school/community sites, using workshops, rehearsals, and public performances to engage the wider community.

What motivated your organization to apply to implement this idea?

DreamYard applied because this initiative aligns with our mission to collaborate with Bronx youth, families, and schools to build pathways to equity and opportunity through the arts. We have decades of experience implementing youth-led programs and wanted to expand the reach of young people’s creative voices into civic spaces.

How do you think this project will make a difference in your community?

This project gives young people the tools and space to become civic leaders through art. It will create opportunities for youth to showcase their talents, connect with peers, and address issues important to their communities. By centering youth leadership, the project will inspire pride, increase civic participation, and strengthen neighborhood bonds.

List at least one thing you're excited about related to this project!

Expansion! We’re excited to see Bronx youth use their creativity to tell their own stories and to watch them lead, not just on stage using professional spaces and professional tech, but in rehearsals with guests artists and access to community civic spaces.

How can someone participate or stay up to date on the project?

Visit us on our website at www.dreamyard.com or follow @dreamyard on Instagram for updates and opportunities to attend youth performances and community events.

Website: www.dreamyard.com
Instagram: @dreamyard
Facebook: @dreamyard
LinkedIn: @dreamyard