Shutterbugs Photography

The Illumination Youth Arts Program focuses on five different areas of the arts: photography, creative writing, painting/drawing, theater/performance and musical guitar lessons and is funded partially through Lackawanna County’s Arts Engage! program.

The programs provide outlets for youth to experience their surroundings creatively and inspire them to make positive changes in their lives and communities. Illumination Youth Arts will hold two sessions during the calendar year, each running approximately 15 weeks and culminating with an exhibit at First Friday January and June. Students from all disciplines will travel to local art galleries, plays, poetry jams/open microphone nights, etc. to give participants a chance to witness various art forms in the real world.

UNC believes in the power of art to change lives and thus seeks opportunities to incorporate arts programs in the agency. Through their participation in Illumination, students will not only learn technical artistic skills in a variety of disciplines, but will ideally experience an inspiring transformation in their lives, ultimately empowering, building confidence and enhancing self-esteem among the at-risk teen population in our community. Illumination utilizes many of the concepts found throughout art therapy to help participants face their emotions and experiences through the different offered mediums. Keeping students in small groups fosters a sense of trust and safety that allows students not only to create, but discuss their works in a way that is productive to their mental health and inter-personal communication skills. Youth participating in this program will not only learn the arts, see the arts and create the arts, they will explore their life experiences and develop skills for both coping with and celebrating future events.

Below is the complete overview and description of the five programs UNC offers through the Illumination Youth Arts program:

Monday: Painting/drawing class

Students will have the opportunity to learn about art history and various historical, famous art pieces. They will also be instructed in the usage of painting and abstract drawing, incorporating collaborative projects when called for. Aspects of art therapy will be used in this program, as well as the opportunity to begin usage of new technology and various forms of new media.

Tuesday: Photography class

Participants will learn basics of photography including exposure, composition and digital editing. Each session, the students will look at the works of a noted photographer and be given an assignment for shooting that afternoon. The students will be encouraged to participate in contests and taken out to photograph local highlights.

Wednesday: Creative Writing class

Participants will learn about different genres of writing. They will each be given a journal to keep weekly writing in. Each week they will be given writing prompts to work for the next session. The students will critique the work as a group. Participants will work on short stories, poems, slam poetry, hundred word stories and other forms of writing, as well as will work toward putting out a quarterly journal that will highlight the best work from the program.

Thursday: Performance Arts/Theater class

UNC will be putting together a performance arts troupe consisting of dancers, singers, musicians, actors and comedians, as well as set artists and behind-the-scene stage hands through auditions. From there, the troop will meet once a week to create performance pieces that reflect various topics relative to the youth participants. For example, UNC recently put on a play entitled “Breaking Down Barriers” that ranged in topics from domestic violence to peer pressure.

Friday: Guitar lessons

Guitar lessons and musical education will be provided to eventually culminate into a performance at the end of the program.