Hollywood HEART

Hollywood has a long, well-documented history of underrepresenting, stereotyping and erasing BIPOC people, women and the LGBTQI+ community. Intro to the Industry will inspire youth from these communities for careers in entertainment. In addition to daily work on a specific area of creative interest, youth will receive practical training and exposure to opportunities, not only for writers, directors and actor but also those interested in other essential industry jobs: set decorators, music supervisors, lighting and camera crew members.

Hollywood HEART would like to sustain and build on its pilot program creating arts-enriched learning environments for high school students in low-income and underserved communities. We are currently partnering with LA High School to transform their campus through in-class and after-school arts workshops. We seek funding to sustain our program at LA High School and to launch new partnerships; potential candidates include Fairfax and Venice High Schools.

The LA has HEART initiative seeks to connect professional working artists with at-risk youth through educational arts workshops.

Our idea is providing a second week of Hollywood HEART's innovative annual arts summer camp, Camp Hollywood HEART (CHH). CHH is a week-long interactive arts experience for youth impacted by HIV/AIDS. Participants from ages 15-21 primarily from Los Angeles have the opportunity to explore, by choice, one of seven arts disciplines: acting, creative writing, culinary arts, documentary filmmaking, fashion, music, and visual arts. CHH enhances human development because our youth are given the opportunity to interact positively with arts professionals and one another as they explore their creativity and receive both personal and career-centered insight. Led by experienced artists and mentors, participants enjoy comprehensive instruction and training in their chosen art, steering them in the right direction for pursuing their creative passions. The camp culminates with a professionally produced live performance, empowering our young artists to showcase their creativity and artistic vision with the entire camp community. The opportunity to celebrate each other’s talents is an experience that brings smiles, pride, and confidence to the participants for years to come. The campers also get to choose exciting elective programming such as comic book artistry, fashion design, culinary arts, stunt choreography, and photography, providing campers with a well-rounded experience beyond their initial focus. In addition to electives and focused workshops, camp provides a variety of fun, enlightening experiences ranging from the exciting talent showcases by well-known entertainers to beach time, sports, and games. Before departing camp each participant is provided with a resource packet full of information and direction on how to further their professional development. The week at CHH allows participants to understand the responsibilities of adulthood and build self-esteem in a trusted, caring, and fun environment.