Igniting Creativity Through the Arts with EmpowerYouth!

EmpowerYouth! is an exciting donor-supported, partnership between Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League that brings together thirty young people from Chicago's south side for a hands-on exploration of performing arts and the creative process. The culminating experience of this intensive, academic-year long program is an original performance presented for the public at a community venue.

This impactful program is made possible each year through your contributions and is just one example of how your philanthropic support helps to create dynamic learning opportunities for young people from the south side of Chicago.

EmpowerYouth! Program Background

Now in its third year, EmpowerYouth! gives participants an opportunity to explore their creativity through the classical performing arts, making space for them to realize and act upon their own ideas.

The Urban League’s long-standing presence in Chicago’s African American community and highly regarded youth programs, along with Lyric’s artistic and production expertise, ensure the creative expressions of EmpowerYouth! program participants take center stage.

The goals of this unique community partnership are to:

• Provide a fun, creative, collaborative arts experience that builds participants’ confidence, helps youth find their voice, and empowers them to make an impact on their community by leveraging the resources and reputation of Lyric;
• Make the classical performing arts more accessible and familiar to young people across Chicago, particularly those from communities historically not present in opera audiences; and
• Provide a framework through which participants can explore their personal creativity by developing an original performance piece that reflects the lives young people growing up in the city of Chicago.

Since 2017, sixty participants in grades 9-12 from more than fifteen Chicago neighborhoods and twenty Chicago-area high schools (predominantly from the south and west sides) have participated in the program. 

EmpowerYouth! Program Process

The EmpowerYouth! participants meet once a week from October to June. Each week, they explore the various aspects of the performing arts and lend their individual voices to developing a collective, collaborative story. After nearly thirty-five weeks of creating, revising, and rehearsing, the program culminates in a live performance with friends, family, and supporters celebrating their accomplishments. All aspects of the performance are original, including the script, musical score, and chorography, as well as the set, sound, and lighting design.

During each weekly session, a variety of professionals help the participants bring their ideas to life. This process includes program participants working collaboratively with:

• Program Facilitators who encourage participants to tell their individual and collective story, help manage the program’s timeline, as well as support the development of the EmpowerYouth! curriculum.
• Artist Mentors and an Artistic Team who work one-on-one with participants to help build their skills and confidence and support the development and creation of the participants’ original story. These include a librettist and composer who collaborate with the participants create the work, as well as a choreographer; music supervisor; acting coach; rap coach; dance coach; costume, lighting, and sound designers; stage director and stage management; and technical crew (wardrobe, stagehands, etc.).
• Social Workers who support the social and emotional health and wellness of the participants, help identify any issues the participants may be experiencing, and build relationships with families.  

EmpowerYouth! Program Results

“My favorite thing about EmpowerYouth! is that it uplifts kids to be ourselves,” shared one participant.

Being a part of EmpowerYouth! offers participants a unique opportunity to combine a high-quality arts program with an experience that allows young people to deeply explore themselves, while building trusting relationships with their peers. “This program helped me learn how to work better with others,” shared one participant. “It is beneficial for me by teaching me about opera,” said another.

In addition, participants learn to think critically about their own experiences, and witness how their ideas can influence decisions and outcomes.  Another participant told us that being part of the program taught them “integrity, leadership, and love and support.” 

The results of Lyric’s commitment to creating this type of supportive, safe, and fun environment extends beyond program participants themselves and into everyday life by offering friends and families—siblings, parents, even grandparents—the opportunity to celebrate the arts, the creativity of loved ones, and the accomplishments, confidence, and success of young people in the community. “[EmpowerYouth!] helped me be a better person,” said one participant.

Thank you for giving young people in Chicago the opportunity to express themselves, personally and creatively through your ongoing support of Lyric.