SilenceIsViolence sponsors after-school youth empowerment programs in the arts. Current workshops include the Music Clinics and "Art Speaks" visual art workshops.
Music Clinics
The Purpose:
Our Music Clinics are our longest-standing program, thanks to solid support from the Threadheads organization, Renew Our Music, the Musicians Assistance Fund, and others. Started in January 2007, the Music Clinics take place each Spring and Fall semester, offering young people a positive activity in the early evening and an introduction to musical performance. Music Director and virtuoso trumpeter Shamarr Allen creates a nurturing, non-violent environment, while teaching young New Orleanians both the artistic and the business aspects of music. Professional coaches teach fundamental techniques on a range of instruments, including but not limited to trumpet, drums, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, and guitar, as well as various stringed instruments. Basic principles of music theory are also introduced. The clinics are imagined as accessible forums for young people to explore the world of music and to decide if they would like to pursue music through more
comprehensive educational programs.
The Process:
The clinics begin at 5:30pm each Tuesday and are tailored to the interests and abilities of participants. Each session includes an instruction period, a dinner break, and an informal jam sessions, during which clinic participants have the opportunity to perform with the professionals. In addition, children who participate in the weekly clinics have the opportunity to take one subsidized private lesson per week with a professional musician. Participants who attend regularly will receive free tickets to the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, courtesy of the Fest4Kidz/Threadheads program.
The Participants:
Music Director Shamarr Allen, a virtuoso trumpeter who has played with the Hot 8 and Rebirth Brass Bands, Bob French, and Willie Nelson, leads the clinics. Participating students can come as often as they like, or just occasionally. Dinner is provided by SilenceIsViolence and Sound Cafe. The Youth Music Clinics are made possible through the support and donations of the community! For more information or to make a donation call Kendra Reade (504-722-0908).
WHEN: September 29-November 13, Tuesdays 5:30pm-7:30pm
HOW MUCH: Free!
WHERE: Sound Cafe, 2700 Chartres Street (corner of Port), New Orleans
WHAT: Musical coaching and performance by professional New Orleans musicians. Free dinner for participants. Instruments provided.
MORE INFO: Call Kendra Reade at 504-722-0908
Art Speaks
The Purpose:
To engage young New Orleanians in conversations about social justice issues impacting New Orleans, culminating in public art projects that express the students' perspectives on the issues. Through a partnership with Young Aspirations/Young Artists, Inc. (YA/YA), Art Speaks is able to link professional artists and artists-in-training with other members of the youth community to explore visual artistic responses to violence, climate change, drugs, and a range of additional issues.
The Process:
Once a focus issue is chosen, YA/YA artists and other members of the community brainstorm about possible artistic responses to the issue. A location for a public art installation is chosen, and production takes place in quick response to the issues.
The Participants:
Jackie Sumell and the artists of YA/YA lead the Art Speaks workshops, with all interested teenagers taking part in the discussions and production.
WHEN: Two one-week projects per semester; Fall 2009 dates TBD
HOW MUCH: Free
WHERE: YA/YA Studio, 338 Baronne Street, 3rd floor, New Orleans
WHAT: Public-art projects on social justice issues
MORE INFO: Call Baty Landis at (504) 208-8376.
Writing Clinics
The Purpose:
The SilenceIsViolence Writing Clinics encourage young people to express their ideas about community and anti-violence in their own creative ways, through prose and poetry. The Writing Clinics generate candid discussions about the violence in New Orleans, as well as creative approaches to challenging this violence. We publish semi-annual collections of the participants' writings, titled "When the Lyrics Broke." In this way, our young writers become not only part of a broader dialogue about healing, but also published authors.
The Process:
The clinics take place during the Spring and Fall semesters, beginning at 5pm on Wednesdays at Sound Cafe. Each session includes some writing instruction, some personal writing time, and some presentation by the youth participants. Dinner is served at the end of each meeting. Participants who attend regularly will be published in our "When the Lyrics Broke" journal.
The Participants:
Creative Director Shedrick White leads the instruction and presentations, as well as inviting guest artists during each Writing Clinics series. The Youth Writing Clinics are made possible through the support and donations of the community! For more information or to make a donation call Emily Palit (504-621-3853), Baty Landis (504-948-0917), or Creative Director Shedrick White (504-352-5288).
WHEN: March 4-April 22, 5pm-7pm
HOW MUCH: Free
WHERE: Sound Cafe, 2700 Chartres Street (corner of Port), New Orleans
WHAT: Writing coaching and presentations by professional New Orleans poets and author. Free dinner for participants.
MORE INFO: Call Kendra Reade at 504-722-0908
SilenceIsViolence seeks to sustain pressure on the criminal justice system through a variety of accountability measures, collectively called VOICE (Violent Offender Intervention through Citizen Engagement). Because our founding concern is with violent criminal cases, and particularly murder cases, VOICE initiatives focus on murder cases and trials. Currently we have three main projects underway:
1. Domestic Violence Initiative
We regard it as the responsibility of
SilenceIsViolence to spread the message that peace
must begin at home; to demand safety and justice for
domestic violence victims; and to insist that these
victims' children be spared the examples of
intimidation and retribution that domestic violence
feeds upon and generates. To this end, we are making
SilenceIsViolence available to help organize
presentations and community discussions on domestic
violence, in collaboration with the Tulane Law School
Domestic Violence Clinic.
In addition, we are working directly with the office
of the District Attorney to be sure domestic violence
cases receive priority treatment.
Finally, we call upon the community to join us in
creating an environment intolerant to batterers,
through our words and our actions, and to let NOPD
officers and public officials know that domestic
violence is a serious concern of New Orleans citizens,
with tangible ramifications for our overall public
safety.
2. Court Watching
Several murder cases currently in the system are of personal interest to the SilenceIsViolence organization. In these cases, we attend court dates whenever possible and remain informed regarding the details of trial dates and progress. The potential impact of this public engagement in the system was demonstrated when, in August 2007, charges in two murder cases were reinstated after being initially dropped: the case of Michael Anderson, accused of murdering Arsenio Hunter, Warren Simeon, Iruan Taylor, Marquis Hunter, and Reggie Dantzler; and the case of David Bonds, accused of murdering Dinerral Shavers. Because we had been following the details of these cases, we were able to apply targeted pressure and to prevent the DA from abandoning the cases altogether.
Citizens interested in volunteering to watch criminal court proceedings should contact our partner, CourtWatchNOLA: www.courtwatchnola.org.
3. Victim Allies Project
SilenceIsViolence has compiled information for victims of violent crime and their families regarding resources through the office of the Orleans Parish DA and other criminal justice and law enforcement agencies. When victims and/or their families contact us for help, we offer them this information and pair the with citizen volunteers to serve as partners during the period the victim or victim-survivor must spend negotiating the criminal justice system. These volunteer partners help summon resources and attention to their cases through direct communication with the DA's office, law enforcement, the Department of Justice, and/or Crimestoppers.
For more information call 504-390-8245 or email victimallies@gmail.com
This is a collaborative effort of Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans and V.O.T.E.
City Walks are community-led evening strolls through New Orleans neighborhoods. These walks are intended to nurture connections among neighborhoods, to establish a positive, anti-violence presence on our streets, and to bring new faces to businesses around the city. District police offficers and supervisors are invited to participate in these walks, with the benefit of introducing citizens to their neighborhood law enforcement. We walk 1-2 miles each week and will have a small reception at our destination establishment. Transportation will be provided back to the departure establishment.
Current walking route:
The New Orleans Social Aide and Pleasure Club Task Force
STRIKE AGAINST CRIME
Vigil for Victims of Violence
Peace Walk
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Start: 6pm on the steps of New Orleans City Hall
Out Perdido St. to Loyola Ave; Turn Right on Loyola Ave.
Out Loyola Ave to Simon Bolivar
Continue out Simon Bolivar to Martin Luther King Blvd.
Turn Right on Martin Luther King Blvd.
End: New Orleans Forensic Center 2612 Martin Luther King Blvd.
(THE END RESULT)
