Students and their families say their goodbyes in the Heir Force Community School Parking lot as they pack their belongings into a two-vehicle caravan headed to Columbus. While there they will engage in a creative workshop and will create an original musical play and later perform it on stage.
Shannon Bohle | The Lima News
LIMA — “Dancing and singing is what saved me,” said Dr. Vickie Shurelds, of who was selected as ‘Teacher of the Year’ in 2021.
Shurelds is passing on her passion for performance art to seven members of Youth for Change, who departed Sunday from Heir Force Community School to participate in a two-week workshop with professional artists of the Lovewell Institute of the Creative Arts at the Garden Theater in Columbus.
Students selected to participate were Adriana Donovan (14), Kyra James (14), Elisha Reddick (14) Joseph Reddick (13), Macarie Tucker (15), Isaac Grundisch (15), and DeAnna Callahan (14).
Shurelds organized participation in the program as a way to create conversations around gun violence in Lima, and to develop young people as future leaders and community stakeholders.
Lovewell works with kids to work out problems of school violence, and through that process came up with a musical called ‘The Weight of Words,’ delving into the hurt that words can carry. The students will be learning the Lovewell method.
Vickie Shurelds explained what that is. “Communicating through the arts is universal. For me, what Lovewell does is allow the kids to tap into themselves … It gives them a chance to practice vocalizing what is important to them. By looking inside themselves, they can find and speak with their authentic voice. That is a really valuable skill, not only in the classroom but in their relationships with classmates, friends, and family. Strengthening these means we’re all safer.
“They are going to be having discussions starting tomorrow morning about ‘What is important to them?’ ‘What are they seeing in their community?’ ‘What do they think should be happening in order to change things or strengthen things in their neighborhood and their communities. Then they are going to be collaborating with other teens, and listening to those ideas and putting them together, and then the most important part—they are going to be using their own talents to communicate their thoughts with others… If you can’t communicate your thoughts to others, you are going to be frustrated. Knowing they have a voice and that it will be understood by others is the key… Not everyone is going to play basketball, football, golf … Lima has had many who have gone on in the arts and done well.”
“I looked at the musical as a way to speak out,” said Kyra James, referring to her earlier performance in ‘The Weight of Words’ at the Impact Center and the Civic Center. James’ talent is writing. She said it was an “honor” to be selected for the program.
“Lovewell is an international organization, started in 1989 and it is a unique musical theater workshop, where we focus on all aspects of the creation of an original work in musical theater. Over the course of two weeks, we sit down a group of students and ask them what they think is important to them and what they think the untold story is. Then we brainstorm ideas, start writing scenes and then fully stage, produce, costume and choreograph a brand new musical in just two weeks,” said JJ Parkey, director of programming for the Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts.
Parkey, who is from Ohio, moved to New York to pursue his acting, singing, and stage producing career. A number of alumni from the program have achieved success. For example, Nathan Tysen, a broadway lyricist, was recently nominated for a Tony Award.
“The ability to create impactful art is about tuning into current events and the political climate. That is how to create really strong leaders,” Parkey said. “Art can also be impactful by influencing its audience —to help people see things from a different viewpoint—and from there, create change.”
The students will spend time in the program learning to write the play, including how to create and acknowledge conflicts between characters, said Parkey. The program is flexible, working with the unique talents the group brings. For example, in addition to creating the musical, students will also be singing, acting, performing a musical instrument, or working behind the scenes in costuming and set management.
The original work the students create will be open for public view on July 1st and July 2nd.
Each of the students received scholarship funding covering the program’s cost. Additional funding for transportation, food, etc. is covered by Youth for Change, which receives its funding from the City of Lima and the Ohio Arts Council.
