Journal 2 Journey
Developed in partnership with Urban Word, Journal 2 Journey (J2J) is a pre-professional, creative youth development initiative. This program is designed to inspire young artists to imagine the possibilities of writing that expand beyond traditional forms, styles, and genres while providing a platform that celebrates young voices. Previous participants have gone on to pursue successful careers as stage actors, playwrights, and designers.
Through an application process, six youth participants, ages 16 to 21, are selected to participate in a paid 12-week intensive, where they will work collaboratively with professional theater artists to refine their wiring skills and devise a professional one-act theatrical production. J2J youth participants will explore themes of the American experience and identity. Upon completion of the program, our artists will receive a stipend and will conclude the program with a live public performance.
Launched in 2004 in partnership with Urban Word, Creative Legacy Projects and New York Live Arts, Journal 2 Journey (J2J) is a pre-professional creative youth development program designed to expose youth to the world of devised theater with a focus on Youth Leadership Development, Tiered Mentorship, Artistic Rigor and Social Justice. J2J aims to provide a platform to:
Develop theater artists who are birthed from an Urban Arts and Spoken Word tradition
Foster tiered mentorship through past participating youth assuming various roles on staff to continue their career growth
Collaboration amongst leading organizations who invest in the future of the field by sharing resources and cultivating diverse leaders
Applications are now open.
***APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 at 11:59PM.***
Contact programs@hi-artsnyc.org with any questions or general inquiries. Please do not inquire on the status of your application submission. If you are selected, you'll be notified via email mid September.
Deadline: September 6, 2024 at 11:59 pm.
DEADLINE EXTENDED! APPLY BY SEPTEMBER 11, 2024
2023 Highlights
2023 Participants
Lucki Islam
Stephanie Pacheco
Fathmah
Nickolas Vaccaro
2023 Facilitators
Karl Michael Iglesias
Osh Ashruf
Rebel Verses Performances Image Credit by Javaugh Collins
Rebel Verses Performances Image Credit by Javaugh Collins
Rebel Verses Performances Image Credit by Javaugh Collins
Rebel Verses Performances Image Credit by Javaugh Collins
Rebel Verses Performances Image Credit by Javaugh Collins
Rebel Verses Performances Image Credit by Javaugh Collins
Partnership
Urban Word, Founding Program Partner
Urban Word champions youth voice through the transformative power of the written and spoken word, providing platforms for literacy, self-expression, social impact, and leadership through free creative writing, college prep workshops, and performance opportunities. Urban Word provides young, creative voices, often those who are marginalized, the tools, training, and platforms to rewrite the narratives that shape their lives and their communities.
As one of the oldest and most comprehensive youth literary arts organizations in the United States, Urban Word is the founder of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, a renowned program that celebrates youth for their excellence as writers and their civic engagement. This year is a continuation of the Fall 2022 theme of the NYC Youth Poet Laureate Federal Hall Fellowship as supported by the National Parks Conservancy.
Urban Word is supported by the National Parks Conservancy in support of the Federal Hall Fellowship Program.