Nathan Graves
St. Louis, Missouri
Nathan Graves holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Administration. He has worked as Youth Specialist for at-risk teens with the Division of Youth Services at a residential treatment facility where he helped develop outdoor-based programs and served as the Med-Aid. As Program Coordinator at the St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center for the past 8 years, he is responsible for creating, maintaining, and evaluating the overall program for youth who temporarily reside at the Center, coordinating over 250 personnel in more than 5,000 hours of programs annually.
Nathan is a 2004 graduate of the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute.
Presentation(s):
Hip Hop Project with Youth in Detention
Day 2 / Apr, 13 @ 2:45 pm
Top Floor : Starlight Room
Hip Hop Poetry Project: a community collaboration between Prison Performing Arts and the Family Court – Juvenile Division. Hip Hop Poetry Project consists of workshops on the 4 elements of Hip Hop; lyric writing, music, dance and design. The workshops respond to several of the challenges facing an at-risk population, particularly the critical need to communicate, have confidence and build literacy skills. Youth receive in-depth commentary from professional teaching artists on everything they participate in during the workshops. The work culminates in a final performance for an audience of family members, community guests and peers. A CD of the youth’s writing is recorded and all of the youth’s written work is published in a printed anthology. This interactive workshop will feature in-depth discussion, audio samples, photographs and video of the project and teaching artists leading participants through sample writing prompts.
Training to do the Work: Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute
Day 2 / Apr, 13 @ 1:30 pm
Top Floor : Starlight Room
A national model since 1997 and the oldest sustained training of its kind in the country, the CAT Institute facilitates cross-sector training of community art partners. Strong arts programs that amplify the voices of communities, regenerate neighborhoods and create significant vehicles for positive social change are among the Institute’s goals.
