On January 24th, Art from Ashes partnered with Fully Liberated Youth (FLY) at their very first Creators for Liberation event! The event was held at All Access Kicks in downtown Denver.
FLY is a Denver-based organization whose mission is to “holistically resource and empower young people who are experiencing oppression, trauma, gang involvement, or system involvement so they can continue becoming the liberated individuals our communities need.” We are so grateful for this partnership, to serve with like-minded organizations that believe young people are not defined by their circumstances or past, but instead have the potential to create and transform their stories.
The event featured a DJ, open mic, community poetry performances, and more. AfA was honored to be able to showcase five of our talented youth poets. AfA’s Executive Director, Jessica Jarrard, introduced AfA, speaking to the power and wisdom of young people and shared information about our award-winning programs.
Youth ambassador and youth representative to the board, Willow Tyler (age 20) kicked off the performance. Four other youth poets (three of them ambassadors) – Rhea (age 16), Kenai (age 16), Rey (age 18), and Beo (age 17) – each shared about their experiences at Art from Ashes and performed poems written in three minutes in Phoenix Rising workshops. The gracious audience cheered them on. Local poets Shaaden Salem, Jannah Faroque, and Confidence performed, each giving a shout out to AfA youth poets for their courage and wisdom. We are so grateful to have been able to partner with FLY for this event, and can’t wait to work more with them again in the future!
