The Arts Empowerment Project
Website: theartsempowermentproject.org
Facebook: @taepnc
Instagram: @taepnc
Twitter: @ArtsEmpower
KEY PERSONNEL
Executive Director: Natalie Allen
Email: natalie@theartsempowermentproject.org
ABOUT: The Arts Empowerment Project was founded in 2011 by Natalie Frazier Allen, an attorney and child advocate in Charlotte and former Chief of the Domestic Violence Unit in Washington, D.C. The organization collaborates with lawyers, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Social Services, Guardians Ad Litem, and Mecklenburg County’s 26th Judicial District Court to make a difference in the lives of children affected by violence and abuse. TAEP screens children referred by the court, matches their interest to the local arts program best suited to their needs, and funds their tuition and transportation fees.
PROGRAMS
Promoting Peace: The Promoting Peace workshops are designed to help heal the divide between vulnerable young people and the officers who patrol their neighborhoods. Initiated in the months before the police shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott in 2016, the program works to improve community relations by giving police officers and teenagers alike a place to come together, connect and give voice to their feelings. Created for a select class of students at a time and attended by members of law enforcement over twelve class sessions, each workshop focuses on creating open dialogue and addressing social justice issues through collaborative art. Community partners include officers of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Transforming Youth Movement, Inc., Arts Plus, visiting professional artists, speakers, and facilitators across a variety of disciplines.
Free Art Fridays: Through a partnership with the YWCA of the Central Carolinas, The Arts Empowerment Project presents a Free Art Friday program once a month to students enrolled in the organization’s Youth Learning Centers. Students are engaged in an art program that correlates to the reading curriculum being implemented by the site coordinator. During Free Art Fridays, students learn new modes of self-expression and experience a variety of art, often with local artists from their own communities. Through art, students enhance their comprehension and expression skills, while building confidence and a sense of self-worth.
Culinary Arts Camp: Through a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), TAEP offers a three-day-long Culinary Arts camp for teens ages 13-17. In this summer program, youth work with chefs and instructors from CPCC to be creative while learning basic cooking and life-skills that will help them when they one day live on their own.
Arts Access: Arts Access is The Arts Empowerment Project’s youth referral program, provided in partnership with many local arts organizations. The ultimate goal of TAEP is to provide access to the arts to Charlotte youth who have been impacted by violence or neglect. Through the Arts Access program, youth can be referred and placed in a variety of art experiences to fit their interests and needs.
MEDIA COVERAGE
The Arts Empowerment Project - SEED20
Can Art Unite Cops and Kids? The Arts Empowerment Project Says Yes - Arts & Science Council
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