Written by Sabina Kariat, Public Arts Program Manager
In winter of 2024, ARTogether welcomed an intersectional cohort of diasporic youth into our gallery space to tell their stories through writing, shadow puppetry, and animation, . They began the first cycle of our program, “Shadow Movements.”
Professional artists Paola Ramirez, Jess Nguyen, and Angie Chaparro, with guest artist workshops by Sahba Aminikia, Lydia Greer, Fred C Riley III, and Jarin Tindall, facilitated a program where youth could use storytelling as a tool to self-reflect, and to further understand each other.
They began the program with poetry workshops, inspired by writing prompts around “comfort objects,” “healers” in their lives, and “home remedies” from different cultures. Youth artist Gia mused, “Making art is like therapy-it helps you deal with your feelings.”
In his poems, youth artist Eyner wrote: “Puedes hacer una pausa por un momento y preguntarte: ¿Cuál es el mensaje que transmite esta emoción?… Vivir es sentir.” [“Ask yourself, What is the message that this emotion is trying to tell you?… Living is feeling” ]
To record their poems, youth artists took a field trip to a professional recording studio. Jia Yin shared, “I was really nervous to hear my poem in a recording and to read out loud in front of others, but it made me really proud of myself that I was able to do it anyway.”
Facilitator Jess Nguyen began her workshops with a live shadow puppetry show, introducing students to the unfamiliar medium with a performance that cast the immersive shadows of creatures across the gallery walls. Students were in awe and inspired to start creating their own shadow puppets.
Shadow puppetry requires precise paper-cutting and thoughtful silhouettes. Students were pushed by these restraints to get out of their comfort zone, and to come up with creative solutions. It is also a medium that can invite the unexpected, inspiring wonder and experimentation. This is an important chance for refugee youth who had to grow up fast in volatile contexts, to be playful and childlike.
To fully visualize their poems, animator Angie Chaparro guided youth to animate their shadow puppets with stop motion animation. The resulting student films were exhibited at ARTogether in a public film screening. Youth artist Alona reflected, “Presenting this project makes me feel like my artwork has value to people other than me. It makes me feel like my voice is being heard.”
In this intersectional cohort, youth artists met peers from different immigrant backgrounds. A participant realized: “through the process (of creating art) we also got to know each other and I got to know more about their culture through their stories.”
Facilitators of the program were impressed by the vulnerability that youth artists put forward in their work. Poetry facilitator Paola Ramirez described youth stories as “urgent and singular.” These stories carried with them messages that were personal to each individual, such as the story of a daughter separated from her mother through the journey of immigration, or a teen learning to process and embrace his emotions, but these narratives proved to be empathetic to a wider audience. Narrative became a tool for connection.
“Shadow Movements” showed that for immigrants, newcomers and refugees, storytelling can be a soft place to land, a tool with which to experiment and play, a creative space to process emotions, and a way to connect through our different and shared journeys.
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Read more about Shadow Movements Program
ARTogether is facilitating this program in partnership with a grant from the state aimed at preventing hate crimes. This program is paid for and administered by the California Department of Social Services in partnership with the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, is part of ongoing efforts in California to provide direct support for communities impacted by hate incidents and to support victims.
