Shine Dena Intergenerational Arts Legacy

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Altadena has a long history of cross-cultural artistic innovation, yet we still struggle to provide context and connections between various affinity groups. As a multi-racial collective of professional teaching artists, elders and youth, we are dedicated to creating productive meaningful cultural connections through musical concerts and workshops. We believe these experiences provide a healing force for the at-risk populations in our community and address these three inter-related issues:
Lack of opportunities for social and creative connections that foster inter-racial unity and inter-generational continuity. Lack of understanding and recognition of the creative historical legacies modeled by elder culture bearers. Disconnection between affinity groups in our direct community specifically; long established generations of BIPOC and low-income residents and new residents of higher economic means entering the community through gentrification and skyrocketing homes/rental prices.

The 'Shine Dena' proposal contains two interrelated elements:
The concert and recording will feature four senior culture bearers in the African and African American tradition including Baba Onochie Chukwarah from Nigeria and senior artists in the jazz tradition, Bobby Bradford and Dwight Trible. These artists have built a reputation as artists and educators committed to passing on their creative legacy to the next generation.
The inter-generational arts mentoring workshops support relevant cultural learning geared towards local community performances including the final 'Shine Dena' concert series. Funding supports the following initiatives led by local teaching artists and elders connecting diverse members of our community:
Supporting the legacies of local elder culture bearers. This work provides continuity for vital living traditions and secures the passing of knowledge through our mid-career professional teaching artists.
Empowering our teaching artists who assist in mediating and securing knowledge through their help in connecting with youth and non-professional arts enthusiasts of all ages.
Providing context and experiences for empowering the younger generation with the tools to become community based working artists and growing into leaders in their own right, to build their own inter-generational legacies.
Music and production experiences fostering new connections, learning and community performance opportunities, within free music workshops on the community level.

Our work empowers artists through high-quality arts initiatives on the grassroots level. We focus on the value of innovation and arts legacies that nurture a passion for developing new talent and passing forward specialized knowledge. We believe these skills empower a future for dynamic work around the creative sector. Through this program, we generate inspiring experiences for an inclusive and flexible arts sector workforce. The program highlights appreciation for authentic traditions and provides space to reflect and celebrate the value of our diversity. In addition, we see the work as context for healing in neighborhoods that have been affected by cycles of racial gang conflict and aggressive over-policing. As we honor our elders, we renew a vision for centering artistic connections in unity and wellness. We believe that artistic programming, with opportunities to perform publicly, provide redemptive processes and experiences that connect diverse groups in our community.

Growing out of years of experience with workshops and concerts in the community, the proposal takes our work to the next level. 'Shine Dena' develops dynamic working relationships with artists on three generational levels geared towards 6 performance goals over a year's time. We will define and measure success for Shine Dena by documenting strong attendance and participation at workshops and concerts including:
(4) culture bearing elders + (8) professional teaching/performing artists (4) supporting professional artists + (3) technical support personnel + (1) recording engineer
(1) support staff + (1) workshop coordinator + (12) interns
(60) ongoing workshop and outdoor concert community participants (20) of then will perform in the theater final show
(1200+) audience members for (4) outdoor community performances, including Earth Day, Juneteenth and Rhythms of the Village bi-annual festival. (297) audience members for the final performances (3 nights) at 99 seat professional theater.