Agahozo Shalom Youth Village &
The In[HEIR]Itance Project
May 2023
Each year, the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) provides over 500 orphaned and vulnerable Rwandan youth with the secondary school education, medical and mental health services, extracurricular activities, and loving family environment they need to heal from past traumas, access higher education and employment opportunities, and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
In partnership with ASYV, the In[HEIR]itance Project is embarking on its first international project, collaborating with students and staff at the village to create a brand new piece of theater that will focus on exploring the ways collective creativity has the power to build relationships and community. The workshops will mirror the values of ASYV by focusing on how art can be utilized for equity, confidence, and healing and will help participants hone their public speaking and storytelling skills and build confidence communicating in English.
program overview
Week 1: Introductions, Skill Building, Creative Sharing
Week 2: Generating Content, Shaping Material
Week 3: Clarifying Material, Rehearsal, Performance & Close Out
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PHOTO GALLERY
village time performance VIDEO
Village Time is a weekly celebration of arts and culture at ASYV, kind of like a weekly talent show, with far more exuberance and camaraderie. This is where the 100 students, from 3 different grades performed their final scenes, songs, dances and skits that they created over the 3 weeks of playmaking together. The theme for our Village Time performance was AHAZAZA (the Kinyarwandan word for future) / Building a Better Future. Below is a video of the performances as well as the final certificate ceremony starting at the 36 minute mark.
Note: the performance was originally live-streamed from the village. It begins abruptly in the middle and there were sound/connectivity issues throughout. Thank you for your understanding.
Ariel Warmflash is a theater artist and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. As the Director of Community Impact for the In[HEIR]itance Project Ari finds herself at the intersection of her most avid passions; storytelling, community-building, and justice work. Ari has lived and worked as an artist and educator in New York City and Washington, DC as well as traveled internationally to work with artists in Israel/Palestine, South Africa, Croatia & India. She has been a Teaching Artist with educational theater organizations nationally including The Creative Arts Team, Opening Act, and Arena Stage as well working as a Freelance Artist with organizations including ECPAT-USA, The US Department of State, National Ramah, and more. Ari is a member of the Interfaith Leaders of America, was an NYC Avodah Justice Fellow in 2019 as well as a founding member of the Closer Look Arts Collective. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Theater & Dramatic Literature from The George Washington University and a master’s degree in Applied Theatre from The City University of New York School of Professional Studies.
Brittney S. Harris, M.F.A. is an Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts at Old Dominion University. Her areas of expertise are in Race and Performance, Performance as Activism, and Devised Community-Engaged Theatre. As an artist and educator, her approach to creativity centers on providing a sacred space for discovery, exploration, and individuality. Brittney's research surveys the adverse effects of vicarious trauma from social media on the personal psyche and how narrative-based storytelling is used as a vessel for social resilience and redemption. Her research has been featured at several national interdisciplinary conferences and fringe festivals, including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Conference (ATHE), BorderLight Festival International Theatre Fringe, National Women’s Theatre Festival, and Black Theatre Network.
This program is made possible through the generous support of these funders:
The Polk Wealth Management Group
If you are interested in helping support this project with a tax-deductible donation, please contact Zena Hinds at zena@inheiritance.org.
FACILITATORS