The Full Circle Project held its final session of the summer in Co-op City with local high school youth in an accelerated multimedia course in filmmaking and performance poetry.
The literacy intensive program was launched by the Drammeh Institute in 2007 with an impact grant from United Way of NYC for media professionals to work one on one with Bronx youth to demystify filmmaking and the art of the spoken word. The youth in turn, demonstrate what they have learned through a final project which includes recording their narratives at a professional music studio.
According to the program’s director, Iman Drammeh-Nur, “The focus is to strengthen communication skills and provide access to technologies that will give them a leg up as they head back to school or enter the workforce.” She points to last year’s participants who have gone on to Sony technology programs, have become recording artists, and are entering their first year in college to major in communications. “Giving youth access to activities that spark an appetite and enhance their ability to articulate original thinking around points of view is a major step toward building self-confidence in their ability to succeed.”
This fall, the Full Circle Project alumni of 2009 will have their short film and poetry projects showcased as an online exhibition, viewable at the following link – which now shows last year’s participant’s works www.VisuallySpeakingFilms.com
The Full Circle Project is funded by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Bronx Council on the Arts through the New York State Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Program, Congressman Joseph Crowley, Fidelity Investments Matching Grants Program, with additional support from Tekserve Apple Specialists.
For the information e-mail: FCProject@live.com or write to The Drammeh Institute, Inc. P.O. Box 558, Co-op City Station, Bronx, New York, 10475.
