Spring 2008 - Lee High School

VBB continues its work at Lee High School:

1. Teacher Writing and Trauma Training Workshops
This workshop is the continuation of the Fall workshop at Lee High School through which more than 20 teachers have been trained.

Instructors were Licensed Professional Counselor Victoria Jones and Educator/ Writer Marcela Descalzi.

Sessions met on Thursday afternoons from 4-6 pm

2. Performance Workshop – Showcase of Poetry, Theater, Video and Music
This in-school and after-school workshop at Lee offered students instruction in several artistic disciplines including theater, spoken word/ writing and theater. Over the course of the 20 sessions, students learned how to weave the disciplines together in a final performance.

Thanks to Lee Principal Steve Amstutz for supporting both workshops.

SPAM is partially funded by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities

Fall 2007 - Lee High School

1. Teacher Writing and Trauma Training Workshops
This workshop is a continuation of a 2006-07 year-long professional development workshop at Lee High School through which ten teachers were trained. The overall teacher response was very powerful.

Instructors were Licensed Professional Counselor Victoria Jones and Educators/ Writers Marcela Descalzi and Patty Henry.

Sessions met on Thursday afternoons from 4-6 pm

Learn more about teacher training workshops.

2. Performance Workshop – Showcase of Poetry, Theater, Video and Music
This new after-school workshop at Lee offered students instruction in four different artistic disciplines: improvisational music, theater, spoken word/ writing and theater. Over the course of the 20 sessions, students learned how to weave the disciplines together in a final performance.

Sessions were held on Mondays and Wednesdays 4-6pm.

Special thanks to Lee instructors Katie Bauer, Chuck Fattore Amy Fenwick, Shenaz Keshwani, Adriana Garcia-Lopez, Hortencia Oropeza, Ariel Ortega and Garrett Reed for helping to recruit students.

Thanks also to Lee Principal Steve Amstutz for supporting both workshops.

SPAM – Showcase of Poetry, Art and Music

Lee– Spring 2007

During Spring 2007, VBB continued our work at Lee High School and taught a short after-school workshop through which students were taught poetry, visual and improvisational jazz. The instructors were: writer and VBB co-founder Marcela Descalzi, saxophonist Jason Jackson (with Nameless Sound), theater and improvisational actress Autumn Knight, writer/ poet and VBB Founding Director Sehba Sarwar and videographers Iman Saqr and Faroukh Virani. More than 40 students participated in the workshop and, as always, participants hailed from countries as close as Mexico and as distant as Afghanistan, Nepal, Somalia and the Acheh Islands.

SPAM Spring 2007 met for 20 sessions and over the course of three months, students leaned how to express themselves through different artistic disciplines. The workshop culminated on April 4, 2007, with a performance in the Lee High School black box theater as well as an anthology that was published and distributed amongst the participants. One of the highlights of the workshop was a field trip to FotoFest’s exhibition Guantanámo. Pictures from Home. Questions of Justice. Students were able to talk to the lawyers and photographer who conceived the show. 

Many students who participated in the spring, will be joining VBB for our Summer SPAM 2007.

Special thanks to Steve Amstutz, Katie Bauer, Carol Chin, Chuck Fattore, Amy Fenwick, Shenaz Keshwani, Adriana Lopez-Garcia, David Johnston, Ernesto Manzano, Ivonne Moreira, Hortencia Oropeza, Ariel Ortega, Sacko Amade, David Dove and Nameless Sound, and Wendy Watriss and FotoFest, Samina Mahmood for designing the anthology and of course, the amazing Emily Sketch for all her hard work.

Spam Spring 2007 was funded by Bridgeway Charitable Foundation and St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities.

Student Feedback

When I wrote about a struggle of friendship, and how I can still keep an optimistic attitude towards what is happening to me.  Thank you for giving me a chance to write how I feel right now.

I learned how to control and release my energy on a music instrument.  Also how to express different emotions with different tones.

I feel I am expressing deeper thoughts every time I write.

I like it! I really did, especially on Monday when I spend the entire day attending all 8 classes and after school I was able to let it all out. J

My teachers are awesome and they are cool and also smart.  Well I like them so far.

Everything I’ve learned was and will be so useful in the future, so I really enjoyed learning the new video process today.

I really loved the advice and comments I received, it will help me a lot.

Comments after visiting FotoFest’s exhibition Guantanámo. Pictures from Home. Questions of Justice:

Seeing these pictures and reading what this men are saying to their lawyers makes me think that it’s really wrong what they are doing with them.  Because they all have a family to go back to and most of them have children that miss them. Seeing the faces of their children makes me feel sad.

If I were given a chance to visit these people’s houses I would definitely fight for their rights too.  The American government has no right to keep these people prisoners without proof or anything.

This exhibit really made me feel like there’s something inside those who are being held as prisoners.  Everyone has high hopes for them.  I mean, even in their tough times they have been so brave and have stood out.  I just want to let them know that there are those who care about them and want them to be happy and safe.

The prison’s name is Guantánamo.  100 % of the prisoners are Muslims.  I personally acknowledge some of the people who are in  Guantánamo are not involved in crime/terrorism but that this government thinks they are part of Al Qaeda.

Teacher Writing and Trauma Training Workshop

This workshop was a continuation of a Fall workshop at Lee High School through which more than fifteen teachers were trained. The overall teacher response has been very powerful and the workshop will continue in Fall 2007.

The workshop aimed to give teachers tools for writing as a means to gain more information and insight into human behavior. A powerful aspect of the workshop was ‘trauma training’ provided by LPC Victoria Jones and this piece of the workshop aimed to help teachers develop common language to explore issues that include psychosocial development stages, trauma symptoms and possible responses.

Instructors are Licensed Professional Counselor Victoria Jones and Educator/ Writer Marcela Descalzi and the workshop met on Thursday afternoons from 4-6 pm

Teacher comments
Enjoyed meditation.  It makes me realize how important it is for my mental health to slow down and pay attention to myself.

I will complete my poem and send it as a Valentine’s Day gift.  I may write others as well.

We are doing so many new and interesting things. 

I really like the debate spurred by sharing without being told.  That was an excellent learning opportunity to put us in the kids’ seats and think about the ethics of what we do.  Wonderful.

The “I Remember” poem was a great writing activity for me – after writing one it led me to another thought.  It is something that I will do for myself again!  I feel energized to write.

Lee– Fall 2005

During Fall 2005, VBB continued our work at Lee High school and taught a short after-school workshop through which students were taught poetry, visual and improvisational jazz. The instructors were VBB Co-Founder Sehba Sarwar (Writing), Glassell Core Member Leslie Hewitt (visual art) and Deep Listening Institute/ Houston musicians Dave Dove and Jason Jackson (jazz).

Over all there were 8 two-hour sessions and there was a final performance in Lee High School’s auditorium. The final performance, a Recording Session, was filmed and DVDs from the performance were distributed among all participating students. As always, students thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and have asked VBB to return to their school.

Special thanks to Lee instructors Chuck Fattore and Anita Wadhwa for recruiting and assisting with the workshop. Thanks also to Lee Principal Steve Amstutz for supporting the workshop.

SPAM was funded by Cooperative for After-School Enrichment, Harris County Department of Education

Student Feedback

Videotaped student response as well as student performance DVD

Retelling Histories

Lee-- Summer 2005

VBB continued our work at Lee High School through a new partnership with Project Row Houses and Youth Advocates through which we ran a summer workshop for 16 sessions (4 weeks/ 3 hour sessions) with a performance and art exhibition at DiverseWorks.

As always, the workshop included a variety of artforms: writing, visual art and break-dancing. Since some of the students who enrolled were passionate about music, they also set up their band and practiced every day as well as performed for their co-students.

Some students were bused from the Third Ward (through Project Row Houses). Others who enrolled were already at Lee. Snacks were provided through the school and VB made a special effort to enroll ESL students.

Some of the students who participated were invited to auction their art in a summer art auction/ fundraiser hosted by VBB. All student works were sold and students received 100% of sale.

Special thanks to Lee instructors Chuck Fattore and Anita Wadhwa for recruiting and assisting with the workshop. Thanks also to Lee Principal Steve Amstutz for supporting the workshop.

Retelling Histories was funded by The Houston Endowment, Inc.

Student Feedback

I liked that I got to auction my art and have a chance to do something during the summer.

I liked the instructors, the help and opportunities that were given. We need more sessions.

I liked the art and writing and reading. I liked everything. I don’t like the snacks.

I wish it had been better advertised. And that there was a music clinic. I want to learn!!

It was cool learning new things and getting into break dancing.

I like how Ms. Beth taught our art class.

I liked that fact that there was a lot of talent involved in the program which helped me grow as a performer.

I’m really surprised that a project as cool as this one came to my school. I enjoyed meeting a lot of interesting people and making new friends. I liked everything about this program.

It made me a better writer and musician. The way that everything was taught was effective.

I really liked the writing. I planned on doing the visual art but I didn’t.

I really liked the structure of the writing; it is that format that seems to work. The variety of kids involved was also nice.

It was cool or like they say in y country, esta pasado.

I liked everything about this project.

Stories that Must Be Told

Lee – Spring 2004

During Spring 2004, VBB conducting semi-formal performance workshops at Lee High School where we worked specifically with Anita Wadhwa’s students. The goal of our 4 visits was to train students for a performance called La Voz Femenina 3 (ADD LINK HERE to ‘03-04 season’) at the University of Houston, Downtown (UH-D).

This performance was curated by VBB intern and UH-D senior Shannon Garth-Rhodes.

As a result of our preliminary work at Lee, our intern Shannon Garth-Rhodes was contracted by Lee teacher Anita Wadhwa to do more writing workshops with students during Fall 04. All three of the students who performed with us enjoyed working with VBB artists and due to Anita Wadhwa’s passionate involvement, the entire class took a field trip to UH-D to view the performance. Since we were officing at DiverseWorks at the time, students were also introduced to an alternative artspace* The field trip downtown led to some Lee students enrolling as freshmen at UH-D the following semester.

Feedback

Since her performance at VBB, I have seen a new determination in Julia (student name changed) to succeed. I think she feels college is a viable option and all three of the students who performed enjoyed it immensely. Several students in the class who were befuddled by the college process are now considering UH-Downtown because of the mentorship provided by Ms. Rhodes.
—Anita Wadhwa, Lee High School teacher

I want to thank you on behalf of the students and myself for a really wonderful program. The mix of performers provided a lively event and the audience seemed to enjoy themselves equally—well done!
– Kathryn Laity, UH-D English Professor

Vietnamese Science & Culture Association -- Spring 2004

During spring 2004, VBB partnered with Inprint Inc., (ADD LINK HERE –http://www.inprint-inc.org/) and co-founder Sehba Sarwar taught a writing workshop targeting Vietnamese youth at the Vietnamese Science and Cultural Association. Marcela Descalzi and then college student Jiny Ung co-taught the workshop.

Some elements of the workshop included writing, skit writing and performance and drawing. VBB Co-Director Oskar Sonnen designed the anthology, Coming Together, that marked the closing of the workshop. As always, students received two copies each.

This workshop was funded by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities.

Student Feedback

I learned and enjoyed playwriting, reading some poems.

Meeting Vietnamese high school students from all over Houston was a very positive thing. I interacted with the many faces of the Vietnamese American Community. Very well spoken lecturers: Sehba Sarwar and Marcela Descalzi, yay for women of color.

I enjoyed pretty much everything. Skit writing wasn’t for me, but when we did the skit, it was fun.

I’ve gotten more confident with sharing my work. I’ve enjoyed the most because I feel we got the most done.

I have learned to write better, and I have gotten more confident in sharing my writings. I enjoyed writing plays, working in groups, and all the food.

Furr– Spring 2003

During the spring of 2003, VBB initiated a pilot project in East Houston at Furr High School (ADD LINK HERE) based on the work already begun at Sharpstown (ADD LINK HERE). Instead of teaching an after-school workshop, VBB co-founders Sehba Sarwar and Marcela Descalzi taught two afternoon creative writing electives through which students were taught writing skills, revision, computer skills and performance techniques.

Other elements of the workshop included visits by local artists—writers, musicians and visual artists—as well as field trips to a variety of art venues around the city including the Menil Collection, the Orange Show, DiverseWorks and much more.

The culmination of the workshop were student performances at Furr High School.

Although VBB views the Furr in-school workshops as successful, we have not repeated this model. Instead, we have continued to develop after-school workshops since students have much more choice deciding on whether they wish to enroll and participate.

Student Feedback

This year was the first time that I was ever in a class like this. Within this semester I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned how to get along with other people. And giving others the chance to know me. I also learned that no matter who I am and where I come from, I can do and set my mind on just about anything I want. Another thing is that I’ve realized that I am a lot smarter than I thought I was. I enjoyed this class very much and I would like to come back.

I learned that I could express my passions freely. At first I thought this class was hard to pass but it’s not. Just express our feelings through any kind of art. My expectations came true. We did good in our class except for some fighting.

In this writing class I learned that it is okay to be outspoken. This class has met my expectations because I know that real artists will sometimes get depressed but it is all part of being an artist. Thank you Ms. Sehba and Ms. Marcela for helping me to appreciate the talent that I have and be more patient.

I have learned that I could be very poetic if I want and try to. I l earned that I could do more work than I throughout I could if I only put my mind to it. I learned that I can be also very lazy if someone doesn’t push me into doing something. I have a poet in me that couldn’t cone out because I didn’t try hard enough. I really had fun in this class. Both teachers, ms. Sehba and Ms Marcela were very cool and patient and were actually friends to the students. I loved the fieldtrips that we made. I enjoyed spending time with you all.

To be honest I didn’t learn anything new about myself. This class was like any class. The only thing I like was that I didn’t do that much of work and of course I enjoy the computer.

I learned that I have feelings that I have the power to write poems. I really didn’t know that I could write poems. I did a lot of things like write stories and express feelings. Thank you for what you and Marcela have helped me accomplish.

This semester was my first time in a class like this. I really learned a lot this semester. Now I know how much writing is. At first I didn’t like to write but now I do it all the time.

I want to tell you how much I enjoyed being in your creative writing class. Through the whole school year I took time to think how much everyone has changed. Creative writing has also been a class like never before because I never had a class with so many parties, fieldtrips, bringing a friend to calls or just have chill days. But most of all I like that I expressed myself in every little way how much passion I have for my Ford cars.

Furr-Summer 2003

This 12-day after-school workshop ran between June 2-26, 2003 (3 hrs/ 4 afternoons a week for 3 weeks) and was open and free for Furr HS students. The workshop included in writing, video and a new art-form, music, taught by Isaas Degollado, music teacher at Furr. Writing and video instructors were Marcela Descalzi and Eric Hester respectively and a new element—the training of a college intern, Ahlam Daraghmeh— was added into this workshop.

The culmination of the workshop was a performance and a visual art exhibit at DiverseWorks.

This was a great experience. It was a pleasure working with all the students. To see these young minds create and develop their skill is an amazing sight. There is so much talent and potential out in the world around me. These young people are very special and my hope is that they realize it themselves. May they take these accomplishments and use its momentum for the goals and wishes they have in mind. – Isaias Degollado (Furr music instructor)

Student Feedback

My time on the workshop was fun. I really like it, I like the new people I met and I hope to see them again. I am excited about the performance and I really like. Next time there should be more practicing than writing biographies and stuff like that.

First, thank you Ms. Sehba and Ms. Marcela. Everything I’ve done and drawn has made me think about life. Keep on doing what you’re doing because it’s working. I realized that this workshop and this class have made everyone happy and think. All I have to give is a great big THANK YOU!

The workshop has been a space for me to work on my art/writing. I enjoyed coming, even though it was hard to fit into my schedule. I think the performance will be good and I’m glad I got to practice and work on speaking slow. Suggestions for future workshops: more structure. Good.

In the beginning I wasn’t too sure if I would enjoy this workshop but as the weeks went by I realized that this workshop was worth it and a great opportunity to be involved in what I love. It was awesome to compose and play music with others who have the same passion. Today is the most exciting thing I can be involved with. It’s great to show others our talent. Everything was perfect, even the food J in the future it would be the same how it was this year because in the end all our effort pays off.

I enjoyed the workshop, I met new people, I got to play in a band, something I have been wanting to do for a while. I’m excited about tonight; hopefully, I won’t get nervous when it’s my turn to play. Hopefully I’ll come next year and make it better. I think we should have had more time to prepare for the performance because I don’t think 3 weeks is enough. So I really enjoyed it here, it’s been good.

Sharpstown High School – Summer 2002

Our first after-school workshop at Sharpstown (located in southwest Houston, with a large immigrant student enrollment) was facilitated by Sehba Sarwar, Marcela Descalzi and then-high-school student Eric Hester and was attended by 15 students from a variety of schools including Sharpstown, Lee, Jones and TSU Lab School. Since VBB does outreach to draw in different groups, local African American, Caucasian and Latino/a kids participated as well as ESL students from Bosnia, Mexico and Afghanistan.

The workshop ran for 8 days (3 hours/ 4 times a week from June 3-June 13, 2002) and served as a pilot project for future VBB education workshops in terms of the way we mixed disciplines, taught performance skills and included a teen co-facilitator. Students were drawn to the workshop because they felt that they had stories to share and were passionate about learning new ways to express themselves.

Over the course of 8 sessions, students wrote fresh poetry and stories and performed for each other. Students videotaped each other performing their poems or stories and then watched the recordings to give each other general feedback on ways to strengthen his or her public performance techniques as well as revision ideas for each piece. A final anthology was produced and each student received two copies as a reminder of the two weeks we spent together. The workshop was photographed by photographer Paul Hester and those pictures are included in the anthology.

Student Feedback

I learned how to work with people that I don’t know that well and how to use a video and camera and sound system. I will remember meeting people from other countries.

I learned how to edit video recordings on the computer…I enjoyed listening to other people’s poetry but I hated having to read my own. I will probably remember interacting with Ruben more than anything because he helped me break my shell of silence. The workshop should be held for a longer period of time—like instead of eight days, maybe like sixteen.

I’m happy with this class because I like study [sic] with new people and know that I’m making new friends. Excuse me, but I have only three months here and I don’t speak English very well. I like this class and I comes [sic] here again because is [sic] new experience.

I learned how to listen and show my emotion with other people. I learned that there are many people who want to hear me, and that is fun way to live. This workshop is the best thing that had happened in my life.

I really enjoyed “connections”—it helps get to know others better.

I enjoyed working with everybody and having them as friends. It’s sad that we leave [sic] so fast, maybe I won’t see everyone again and I want that this workshop continues [sic] in the future. I liked listening to different poems that people wrote.

I learned how hard it is to make a video production. I learned how to operate a digital camera and how to edit what I recorded. I enjoyed “connections”—I’ve never done anything like that before. It’s a cool way to communicate or serve as an icebreaker. The people I met will definitely be the one thing I won’t forget. I really enjoyed the experience and I hope I can do it again soon!