Their stories. Their transformation.
Our young people are writing stories, confronting trauma, building job skills and setting themselves up for success. For some, success is getting a GED. Going to college. Getting a CDL license. Giving a speech in front of 500 people. Dealing constructively with the loss of a parent. Or even becoming a professional Teaching Artist themselves.
On top of all that, they are influencing better decisions for civic leaders and at-risk youth.
Scroll down to learn more about how they empower themselves and the Chicago community.
‘The Greatest Moment I Have Ever Seen on Stage.’
“I saw them [Storycatchers Theatre] do this thing on stage and talked about it on the radio in an act we called, ‘The Greatest Moment I Have Ever Seen on Stage.’ I have to say, I stand by that, and I have seen Hamilton.” – Ira Glass, host of This American Life
Impact from Changing Voices in 2018.
Post-Release Supported Employment.
Changing Voices employs young adults recently released from the criminal justice system. They use the same award-winning, therapeutic process to write, produce and tour their performances and workshops to schools and special events.
Changing Voices impact on development and readiness.
# of Youth Employed
# of Performances
# of Writing Workshops
# of Life and Job Skills Workshops
Becoming Agents of Change in the Community.
Changing Voices performed for 4,243 total audience members in 2018 alone. This includes 275 Illinois judges, governors, and state representatives, giving formerly-incarcerated youth the chance to connect with the system’s change-makers and advocate for themselves.
The ensemble also works with the Chicago Police Department’s training curriculum to perform interactive stories every month. Changing Voices worked with 1,243 Chicago police officers and recruits last year to bridge the gap between the police and the communities they serve.
Impact from Residential Programming in 2018.
Incarcerated Youth Engagement.
Working with incarcerated youth living in juvenile justice facilities, our trauma-informed programs are an outlet of expression and means of personal growth done through the process of writing and performing original musicals. Graduates are able to successfully navigate re-entry and become peer leaders, self-advocates and agents of positive change in the community.
Incarcerated and Detained Youth Served.
Ages
%
Female
%
Male
# of Participants
# of Performances
# of Workshops and Rehearsals
# of Audience Members
Meet Edmund Buck.
He was incarcerated in 1994. He performed with us in 1995-1996. He met a girl named Dori in that program. He was released 19 years later.
Today, he mentors our participants and inspires them to think confidently about themselves.
Edmund credits a lot of his success, and maybe his recent marriage to Dori, to his involvement with Storycatchers.