SAINT LOUIS STORY STITCHERS ARTISTS COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCES CASTING CALL FOR The WHY of MY City

The WHY of MY City is a multi-year signature program that captures and documents pieces of black history through written word and art while training the next generation to become active, engaged citizens. Our goal is that programs become a force multiplier, rippling into families, schools, and neighborhoods, offering solutions to common urban problems.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers has commissioned playwright Mario Farwell to write a new script for The WHY of MY City, centering on St. Louis’s Black neighborhoods and historic figures. The new play will be presented to the public June 15 and 16, 2023, as part of Juneteenth celebration.

The play will include community members and will be staged at the .ZACK Theatre at Kranzberg Arts Foundation. Story Stitchers is honored to work with Gregory S. Carr as director. This is Gregory’s first project with Saint Louis Story Stitchers.

Synopsis of the play: Wanda, a young African American, returns to St. Louis after graduating high school.  She wants to explore opportunities, but Zoot Suit, a well-known gangster, entices her to come work for him.   The community rallies to prevent Wanda from making a serious mistake and with the help of Scott Joplin, Madam CJ Walker, Cool Papa Bell and Tina Turner, they manage to save her from the clutches of Zoot Suit.

To learn more about opportunities to get involved or to register for an audition or interview, visit The WHY of MY City landing page: HERE

CASTING CALL:

LOCATION: The Center, 3701 Grandel Sq, Studio 1A, St. Louis, MO 63108

DATES AND TIMES:

CASTING CALL

LOCATION: The Center, 3701 Grandel Sq, 1A, St. Louis, MO 63108

Wednesday, May 10, 6:00-10:00 PM Auditions and Interviews

Saturday, May 13, 12:00-5:00 PM, Auditions and Interviews

Wednesday, May 17,  6:00-10:00 PM Call Backs

REGISTER LINK FOR AUDITIONS WITH DIRECTOR GREGORY S. CARR: HERE

TICKETS TO THE PLAY: $10 on MetroTix

Acknowledgements

The WHY of MY City is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, Missouri Humanities Council, a state agency, The Lewis Prize for Music 2021 Accelerator Award, and Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

About Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective

Saint Louis Story Stitchers is a nationally recognized Artists Collective known for high quality art and innovative youth violence prevention programs.

Story Stitchers is committed to placing youth at the center of the work both in identifying topics for exploration as well as the methods for engagement. This approach builds a community of youth and professional artists who respect one another. Gun violence continues to be a pressing public health crisis that consumes the attention of the engaged youth, and artistic expression helps youth work through the pain and loss they have experienced.

Stitchers collect stories, reframe and retell them through art, writing and performance to promote understanding, civic pride, intergenerational relationships and literacy. Projects create a platform for community engagement through an artistic lens and with it the Saint Louis Story Stitchers work to shift perceptions and realities and bring hope to the Saint Louis community. Our goal is to promote a better educated, more peaceful and caring region through storytelling.

StitchCast Studio LIVE!

Next StitchCast Studio LIVE! program will focus on Youth and Sadness with guest Nicholas Wren, LPC, who specializes in working with boys and adolescent males.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

6:00-9:00 PM

HIGH LOW

3301 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103

TICKETS are FREE on Eventbrite. CLICK HERE

Watch and be a part of Story Stitchers live podcast discussions, presented on the state-of-the-arts stage, High Low, 3301 Washington Ave. Story Stitchers artists and guest artists will round out each presentation with live art interludes and all ages open mic.

Youth, ages 16-24 years old, discuss current topics in live podcast recordings on stage. Live art interludes are incorporated into the presentations. Learn about the community through the words of young leaders. Participate in a family-friendly open mic. Join Stitchers Youth Council by filling out the form at storystitchers.org.

UPCOMING DATES and PROGRAM TOPICS:

Tuesday, April 25, 2023, StitchCast will focus on Violence in Music.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023, StitchCast will focus on Youth Violence.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023, StitchCast Studio will focus on The Great Outdoors with Jean Ponzi, Green Resources Manager at EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Listen to StitchCast Studio on all major podcast platforms.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers’ StitchCast Studio LIVE! is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. On the web at arts dot gov.

Support for Story Stitchers creative youth development programs is provided in part by The Lewis Prize for Music 2021 Accelerator Award.

Additional support for StitchCast Studio and Story Stitchers youth programs was provided by the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund, Arts & Education Council, Trio Foundation, Deaconess Foundation, and Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers is a nationally recognized Artists Collective known for high quality art and innovative youth violence prevention programs.

Story Stitchers is offering School Group Tours this spring to introduce local teachers and high school students to The Center and its programs. The Center is a unique space for creative youth development designed by and for youth of color.

High School teachers may schedule a 1.5 hour introductory tour for up to 40 students by emailing storystitchers@gmail.com.

Public schools with over 75% free and reduced lunches will be given free tours and scheduling priority.

Private high schools will be asked to make a contribution.

Youth ages 16-24 years old may join Stitchers Youth Council and access free programs at The Center. Programs build self confidence, communication skills, creative and technical skills, and provide a safe space for youth to gather with friends. Story Stitchers offers free year round programming.

To apply to join Stitchers Youth Council, youth may fill out this form: https://storystitchers.wufoo.com/forms/zeinv521f4w9ez/

Parenting a teen can be tough. Sometimes we all need a little help from our friends. We’re here to help!

Saint Louis Story Stitchers has opportunities for youth in St. Louis, Missouri who are interested in the arts and journalism, nonprofit business, and community organizing. Although all youth are welcome, our free youth programs are designed especially for 16-24 year old teens and young adults who are underserved and underrepresented youth of color living in underinvested neighborhoods in St. Louis City and County.

Youth opportunities are free of charge. Some youth even earn money here. In a wholesome, healing space, young people join their mentors to learn, create, make new friends, and serve their communities.

Comments from youth participants about how they were able to reach out to their communities through participating in Story Stitchers’ award-winning youth-led podcast program, StitchCast Studio, include the following:

• As a new leader, I’ve been able to help my community and friends with their mental health.

• I have been able to reach out to my community by using my voice as a platform to inform my community of social topics and understand different perspectives on those topics as well.

• Through StitchCast, I have been able to be an advocate and artist that actively works for positive change in the community.

• It has really been pushing me to give more effort towards my craft and help me become confident with giving life lessons to my community.

•   I’ve been able to communicate with more people than I would’ve if I wasn’t a part of StitchCast through podcasts and PSAs.

• It’s helped me learn that outreach is the best way to reach people, and one of those ways can be done through podcasts.

• I’ve been able to be on another platform that gives me the ability to inspire others and collaborate with others during the session.

• I’ve been able to articulate my ideas for a better city.

• I am more bold and confident.

• I’ve been about to help those younger than [myself] and express myself freely on a platform created for people like me.

• I have started doing more research and trying to go to events that support the community or change things about the community that need to be changed.

• I’ve been able to reach out to youth affected by gun violence who listen to StitchCast and resonate with our discussions.

• I’ve been communicating with people in my school’s Black Student Union about StitchCast. Since my school isn’t art-based and we have a lot of artistic individuals, some are thinking about joining now.

• I have been able to have a platform where we can actually meet real people and talk about real problems.

• StitchCast is like a megaphone. It amplifies your voice so that more people are able to hear it. I love and listen to my community which puts me in a position to be able to understand what they need to hear. Using research, I am able to encourage and educate my community through StitchCast.

To learn more or to help a youth apply to join, visit storystitchers.org

Questions? Reach out…

Saint Louis Story Stitchers does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or national guard status, handicap status, or any other factor prohibited by law in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and/or activities.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers is committed to ADA compliance. The Collective welcomes people with disabilities and subscribes to the goal of providing access to programs, services and facilities. The Collective’s goal is to integrate this philosophy into all activities: policies, guidelines, plans, budgets, funding proposals, meetings and outreach.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers wishes to make programming accessible to all. In-person events are held in ADA compliant facilities allowing those with mobility issues to participate. Please contact the executive director, Susan Colangelo at susanc@storystitchers.org if you have any additional requests to accommodate visual, hearing or other accessibility issues.

StitchCast Studio Live!

Podcast + Open Mic

Police Violence

Tuesday, February 28

6:00-9:00 

High Low, 3301 Washington Ave, 63103.

Free and open to the public.

Programs will continue for 5 months. Please plan to come and bring others. The bar will be open with nonalcoholic beverages.

Open Mic family friendly only. No solicitation from the Mic. Table for sharing community materials provided.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers StitchCast Studio LIVE! is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. On the web at arts dot gov.

Additional support is provided by The Lewis Prize For Music, Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund, and Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

Reserve your seat today!

Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stitchcast-studio-live-tickets-504563461897

DATES and PROGRAM TOPICS:

Tuesday, February 28, 2023, StitchCast will focus on police violence.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023, StitchCast will focus on youth and sadness.

Tuesday, April 25, 2023, StitchCast will focus on violence in music.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023, StitchCast will focus on youth violence.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023, StitchCast will focus on the great outdoors and looking back over Season V.

StitchCast Studio is Story Stitchers’ award-winning youth-led podcast program. 

Youth, 16-24 years old who join Stitchers Youth Council may apply for a New Podcaster 4-week introductory course, Alumni Podcasts, and ultimately live podcasting on stage through StitchCast Studio LIVE! Apply today!

Available on Podbean, Google Podcasts, apple podcasts, Spotify and Youtube.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective

Unintentional Shootings PSA Campaign

The SAFE! Team Campaign has been supported in part with funds from the

St. Louis Violence Prevention Commission.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective produced a PSA campaign to support public health and safety education to reduce unintentional shootings involving children and youth in St. Louis. According to 5 On Your Side data, 140 children under the age of 17 were victims of gun violence in 2022 in the St. Louis area of Missouri and Illinois. Eighteen of them died.

Story Stitchers took the raw content collected from community, filtered it through experts in the field of public health messaging, and worked with professionals to refine the concepts and generate final videos and static photographic images conveying the messaging. The art works are ready for dissemination for public viewing using social media and other media channels including bus shelter posters and bus kings.

Let’s take action together and keep our kids SAFE!

Learn more: https://storystitchers.org/safe-team/

The Midwest Climate Summit is a three-day gathering of climate leaders, researchers, and professionals focused on expanding knowledge, accelerating climate action, and catalyzing new partnerships. Our vision of a carbon neutral, climate resilient, interconnected Midwest region cannot be achieved without centering equity and justice in our planning and implementation.

Saint Louis Story Stitchers is honored to present excerpts from its award-winning work 

Peace in the Prairie

Is the path towards peace through Missouri’s endangered prairies?

February 22, 2023

6:30-7:00 PM

Frick Forum in Knight Hall

Washington University in St. Louis

Link to the Summit website: Midwest Climate Summit | Midwest Climate Collaborative | Washington University in St. Louis (wustl.edu)

Read Nancy Kranzberg’s column about the power of the arts to bring change in The Jewish Light.

NANCY KRANZBERG , SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Three ways local art groups are making change for the better

https://fox2now.com/video/making-art-to-serve-the-city-with-story-stitchers/8296713/

Watch Story Stitchers artists Branden Lewis and Emeara Burns on

Fox 2 Now Morning News Jan 11, 2023 / 11:45 AM CST

Story Stitchers work from Perception Isn’t Always Reality, created in 2022 to bolster vaccine confidence with support from the CDC Foundation, is featured in an exhibition at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta GA 30329.

The exhibition is on view November 25, 2022 – March 2023.

Photography by Mike Jensen, courtesy of the David J. Sencer CDC Museum

“Trusted Messengers: Building Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines Through Art spotlights some of the arts and culture partners who worked with CDC and the CDC Foundation in 2022 to help bolster demand for COVID-19 vaccines by building trust and confidence in their communities.”

To learn more and see additional images from the exhibit visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/museum/exhibits/trusted.html

To learn more about Story Stitchers’ project visit:

Perception Isn’t Always Reality

To host an exhibit or discuss Story Stitchers’ PSA work reach out: