ROOM TO GROW

Come Join Us

In looking over the past few months of working with local young artists across Prince William County, there is something that is clear to me. The untapped talent that live and work here is beyond belief. I know from my personal development in the arts that the arts have the power to engender equality; to enable expression and exploration of the self, of ideas; can give voice to those who don’t have a platform to be heard; and can create a sense of kinship, of community. As I work daily with the creative youth of PWC I worry about how disconnected we are as a society, about the frankly terrifying political context we’re in. Yet! I remain excited and inspired by these local young creatives who are rising up, raising their voices. And I believe that together we can make change.

From conversing with our youth I know for certain that they often feel disempowered, disillusioned, and uncertain. I can honestly say that since starting my position here in

Prince William County as Arts Recreation Specialist I have felt, with over 30 years of experience in the arts a bit of this myself.

As they continue to create, they are also grappling with their place in society and it’s hard to know how to effect change when what we’re dealing with is climate change, economic crashes and political crises. It quite literally feels like the end of the world.

No government, local or federal can afford to ignore the rich artistic, creative, emotional and spiritual benefits gained from actively engaging in the arts. People’s lives can be transformed through participating in the arts – by strengthening their self-esteem, self-respect and sense of identity, by working together and developing a feeling of belonging, by seeking a measure of connectedness and coherence through different arts experiences.

I know that our young people are thinking long and hard about every- thing. In some ways young people are greater participators than ever before. They aren’t merely consumers of content; through the internet they have become creators. And they can use that to become participators, co-creators, change makers. We all must realize that the creative collaborative processes can enable any person, young or old, to build up a strong sense of who they are by empowering them to believe in themselves and take responsibility for their own lives and for those of others.

—Herb Williams