The last couple of years have been challenging for young people, especially those already dealing with issues like economic hardship or a parent’s drug abuse. But through participation in the arts, teens can find new means of expression and connection with others, building resilience that will serve them throughout their lives.
At a recent event organized by Greenville Women Giving, a pair of artists who work extensively with students offered an insider’s perspective of how the arts are lifting up youth in our community.
Kimberly Simms Gibbs, director of arts education for the Metropolitan Arts Council, manages SmartARTS, a collaboration with Greenville County Schools. The program trains artists and teachers to integrate arts into the classroom with a goal of better engaging students and improving achievement in English/language arts, math, science, and social studies.
“Kids lost so much during the pandemic, including 140,000 who lost parents. The arts are a great way to get them back where they need to be,” Gibbs said. “I’ve seen the powerful ways students are touched by visual arts, drama, poetry, and music.”
Gibbs, a poet, invited event participants to experience art’s transformative power by reciting a poem she wrote following the loss of her stepmother. She also encouraged attendees to view SCETV’s April 28th broadcast of a poetry slam featuring students of League Academy. When teens have opportunities like this to share and perform art, it builds resilience, she said.
A second way the arts promote resilience is by allowing teens to take risks in a safe environment, such as working in a new medium. Gibbs referenced another SmartARTS unit in which students at Greenville High School created conceptual art on the topic of the heart in several mediums.
At Tanglewood Middle School, SmartARTS students worked together to create a mural inspired by the history of protest as part of their social studies class.
“The arts also build community among peers, teachers, and family, which is shown to boost resilience in teens. As they develop their passion, purpose and meaning, they deepen connections with their peers and adults in their lives,” Gibbs said. “Finally, as they express their emotions through the arts, whether it’s drumming, visual arts, or a poetry slam, they are better equipped to process trauma.”
Matt Giles, South Carolina Children’s Theatre’s artistic director, recalled finding his voice through drama, specifically a production of “The Music Man,” metamorphosing from a shy ninth-grader hiding out in the chorus room to student body president by his senior year. Gile said the arts encourage imaginative, creative impulses, and a sense of belonging and significance.
“In the theater, our goal is to create a space where every teen is valued, respected, and accepted as they are,” he said. “We try to unite the ability to see the world as it is with the capacity to see the world as it could be.”
Susan Cinquemani, Greenville Women Giving co-chair, said in addition to collective granting to nonprofits in Greenville County, the group encourages collective learning by offering educational opportunities throughout the year for members and guests. These programs focus on community needs and innovative solutions to these challenges.
“Each year, granting and education in Greenville Women Giving’s five funding areas (arts, education, environment, health, and human services) reflect the organization’s holistic view of supporting our community,” Cinquemani said. “This education session, a Spotlight on Arts, brought us together with two Greenville arts organizations to learn about their programs as well as the opportunities the arts provide in supporting teens facing a myriad of challenges and stresses in their lives.”
For more information about the SmartARTS program, visit https://www.greenvillearts.com/smartarts. For more information about SCCT, visit https://scchildrenstheatre.org/.
