Initiative opens creativity and opportunities for kids

ARTS EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

The Arts Empowerment Project gives children from underrepresented communities opportunities to explore the arts in a supportive environment.

Art is necessary.

The Arts Empowerment Project is pouring into Charlotte’s creative community. The nonprofit uses art as a form of healing for children dealing with violence and trauma through programs focused on equity, opportunity and access. They learn lifelong skills and goal setting in a supportive environment.

“Helping kids who are underserved become whoever they want to be, and they are not restricted to the circumstances to which they may have been born,” founder Natalie Allen said. “Empowering them using arts as a vehicle to seek out new opportunities in their community that they have not been exposed to, to really work on their social and emotional learning and feeling as though they have self-efficacy and can take on things and handle ups and downs with resilience.” 

The arts, Allen said, is a force to improving access and learning for children’s development, but often lacks funding and support needed. “Some people don’t always see it that way, but art is a powerful universal language that can inspire people beyond measure,” she said.

The Arts Empowerment Project provides multiple creative options from culinary to acting, which gives kids freedom to learn what they enjoy without feeling stuck.

“We give kids choices, which sometimes they don't always have,” Allen said. “That’s another opportunity for them to choose what they’re interested in doing. We work with their counselors and their guardians to peel back those layers to see what it is that you think you’re interested in. And it’s funny, because a lot of times kids will say they’re interested in one thing, but that they get exposed to something else.”

Allen points out that a part of working with underserved children is taking the time to invest in them. Having someone who is not only welcoming but supportive can make a difference in turning a passion into a career. 

“So many times kids in communities are sidelined, they're bullied, they're pushed aside,” she said. “And how can you draw out of kids their own self-confidence, their own power, and let them see how wonderful they really are.” 

As a regional creative hub, Charlotte has a lot to offer anyone looking to step into the creative field. For underserved students lacking exposure, the nonprofit also opens doors to possibilities. The project’s goal is to give them more than a new skill as well as a different perspective on life.

“Some kids that we’ve served they’ve never been in uptown,” Allen said. “They were from Charlotte, they live in Charlotte, but they have no access to the Blumenthal, they don’t know where to park, they don’t know about the Gantt [Center], they don't know about the Mint Museum. … “I really hope that they feel that they have the opportunity to thrive and to be their best selves and not just survive.”

Comments