From a Space to a Place (FASTAP) is a collaborative mentoring program for middle and high school students, in which the efforts to reinvent public spaces, and to improve the quality of life in a community, are led by the youth who lives there. This program, led by the TFAA and many partners, applies a multi-disciplinary approach (visual and performing arts, STEM, project management, team building
, mind-mapping, media literacy, mindfulness, ecology and critical thinking) to:
- Overcome social barriers and strengthen community bonds by encouraging youth interaction with different cultures and generations
- Empower the youth by giving them a platform from which their ideas can be expressed
- Motivate and invest in the city’s future leaders, decision makers, business owners, educators, and residents by involving them in the process of re-shaping their communities
- Provide the youth a sense of ownership in implementing a tangible change in the form of an urban outreach installation and/or performance
The end product reflects the voice of the community, revealing aspects of its unique history and culture, while the process itself builds human and social connections that will last well beyond the creative journey. A pilot of FASTAP was tested 2015 in three Houston-based schools/community centers: Marshall Middle School in the Northside, Change Happens and Agape Development in the Third Ward. TFAA is in the process of implementing FASTAP in several schools and community centers in various districts around Houston and in France. The diverse locations and participating groups of students will then be linked through the program’s storyline so that they constitute a unified whole and allow to share practices. "From a Space to a Place" brings partners together through an inclusive, creative process to expand the community’s cultural, social, and economic identity. This multi-faceted technique has a positive impact on society as a whole by:
- creating interesting places that capitalize on distinctiveness
- reducing exclusion between communities and inhabitants
- creating environments where businesses want to establish themselves
- increasing the value and the commitment of a community, while nurturing an enduring sense of place
We are excited to work with our current and future partners to use socially responsible art along with other disciplines as an educational and transformative tool to encourage creative placemaking. Individuals and corporations alike are essential members of a community and, as such, contribute in their own ways. Many thanks to our current sponsors and partners for helping us impact our communities and make a positive change in our countries. TFAA partners include:
University of Houston-Downtown, HISD schools (including Marshall Middle Academy of Fine Arts), Change Happens, ArtBridge Houston, Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, Art League Houston, The Academy of Choice, Avenue CDC/Go Neighborhoods, Compassionate Houston, Awty International School, Boniuk Insitute, CASE for Kids, City ArtWorks, The City of Houston, DiverseWorks, East Downtown Management District, Et Voila Theatre, Eyeful Art, Fotofest, The French Consulate of Houston, Friends of Emancipation Park, Glassel School of Art, Hermann Park Conservancy, Heights Association, High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, The Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Public Library, Houston Storytellers Guild, Houston-Nice Sister City, Houston Sister Cities, Inprint, Lone Star College, Marshall Middle Academy of Fine Arts, Memorial Park Conservancy, Memorial City Mall, Meta-Four Houston, Neighborhood Centers Inc., Project Row Houses, Rice University, The Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Urban Souls, University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown, Writers in the Schools, Virtuosi of Houston, Westchester Academy for International Studies, Reginald Adams, the Rothko Chapel, The Society of Performing Arts, Mercury - The Orchestra Redefined, Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre, Franco-American Vocal Academy, MFAH, Ars Lyrica, Museum of Printing History, Blaffer Art Museum, Aga Kahn Foundation, Houston Fine Art Fair, Carthage Construction. FASTAP is supported by CASE for Kids/ Harris County Department of Education,GDF Suez, the French Consulate of Houston, The Wortham Foundation, Total, Air France, Technip, Axens, Eyeful Art. You can help make a difference by volunteering with the Texan-French Alliance for the Arts, by making a contribution toward "From a Space to a Place" program and/or by becoming a friend of TFAA. Find out more about the TFAA programs, the FASTAP project and upcoming events at www.texanfrenchalliance.org www.fromaspacetoaplace.com
For more details contact Karine Parker-Lemoyne, Executive and Program Director, at [email protected]
