City Hearts: Kids Say Yes to the Arts/L.A. Fringe Theatre

Founded in 1984 on the belief that the Arts can and do transform young people's lives, City Hearts provides K-12th grade Los Angeles County youth in Arts under-resourced communities with high-impact, holistic, and culturally relevant Visual and Performing Arts programs taught by practicing artists. Primarily partnering with school district, our schools serve 97-99% students of color, of whom 62-90% qualify for free and reduced lunch. This year, we are collaborating with a new South LA partner, the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center, which takes a neighborhood approach to the revitalization and empowerment of a community in crisis, expanding our services to where they are most needed. Founded b... read more Founded in 1984 on the belief that the Arts can and do transform young people's lives, City Hearts provides K-12th grade Los Angeles County youth in Arts under-resourced communities with high-impact, holistic, and culturally relevant Visual and Performing Arts programs taught by practicing artists. Primarily partnering with school district, our schools serve 97-99% students of color, of whom 62-90% qualify for free and reduced lunch. This year, we are collaborating with a new South LA partner, the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center, which takes a neighborhood approach to the revitalization and empowerment of a community in crisis, expanding our services to where they are most needed. Founded by Sherry and Bob Jason, they were attorneys in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office and represented youth in the juvenile court system. Sherry knew firsthand the healing power of the Arts as a former ballerina and ballet teacher. After hearing the sounds of Mozart being played on an old piano in the halls of the detention center by a young boy in an orange jumpsuit, Sherry recalls: "The teacher told me it was his first lesson - he had picked up the music by ear. It brought me to tears when I learned that he was only 13 years old, was convicted of murder, and awaiting placement in the prison for youth. 'What if he had met the piano first?'" Crucial to City Hearts' work is providing top-tier Arts training without the financial or transportation barriers often associated with independent Arts conservatories or programs in affluent communities. Often facing systemic barriers, our programs offer youth of color, low-income youth, and youth with disabilities a "third space" and creative outlet to express struggles, explore history and identity, and foster social-emotional and artistic growth. Taught by professional artists -- many of whom have been trained at prestigious institutions like USC, Oxford University, and UCLA and are active members of SAG-AFTRA, ASCAP, and AEA -- City Hearts provides meaningful employment for Teaching Artists seeking to support their artistic development while allowing them to give back to their community. Regardless of race or economic status, every student deserves access to high-quality Arts Education that addresses their academic, creative, and emotional needs. For the first time ever in City Hearts' 40-year history, City Hearts is creating an official creative career exposure pathway, providing high school students stipends for successfully completing our programs. Being piloted in our original Wilson 'n William Threatre Program and in collaboration with the South Bay Workforce Investment Board, students will be paid for developing their technical and artistic Theatre skills alongside receiving in-depth exposure to creative career professionals and Masterclasses on breaking into and navigating careers in the Arts. During the 2023-24 school year, City Hearts reached 708 students through 45 weekly classes (1,116 classes total) at 17 schools. This 2024-25 school year, we are serving over 850 students through as many as 52 weekly classes (1,300 classes total) at 13 schools across Long Beach, Compton, Centinela Valley Union, and Whittier City School Districts. Since its inception, City Hearts has served over 45,000 students. All classes are provided at no cost to the students or schools.