- So, whatever you do, do the best of your ability.
And remember as you're doing it to have a beautiful...?
- Teens: Smile.
- Teacher: Because I know you enjoy what you do.
- Black arts MKE is a nonprofit organization
that brings art and original performances
by African American artists
to the local community.
- Grady Crosby: Black Arts MKE kind of started
as a facilitator and a collaborator
of different and disparate black arts programs
around the city.
There are multiple programs, even organizations,
that have been folded into Black Arts Milwaukee
that provide a number of different programs:
everything from children's programming
to adults performing arts.
Just about anything in the arts space
you can find at Black Art Milwaukee.
I think that's our legacy
and making sure that arts
not only just arts are well and alive in Milwaukee,
but the specific genre
of black arts can-- remains vibrant
and just really well and thriving
right here in the city of Milwaukee.
[teacher asks a question]
- Artists at the youth summer performing arts camp
work to script, construct sets,
and bring an original production to life.
[cheering excitedly]
- Everybody sit down, you know, give ideas.
You know, see what they're best at
and make sure they are comfortable with it.
- And that includes making the costumes?
- Niya Winston: Yes, yes, everybody is included in everything.
So, as you saw today, we we're making--
Everybody's making their own costume,
sewing everything.
Theys making the backdrop.
It was just everything was done by everybody.
It was not no person left out
so that's the good part about it.
That's pretty cool what you are able to see like,
an entire production from start to finish,
and they will touch every part. - Mm-hmm.
- Are there any components of the camp that surprised you,
like, when you started doing them, or when you joined?
- The surprising part was
the learning about different cultures.
That was what was surprising
because most camps don't do that.
You just, you know, we're doing this play.
We doing that play.
We're gonna do this; Here are your lines.
We really learn different songs from different languages,
a part of the production that we're doing.
So, yes, I really-- that was the surprising part,
like, wow, we really learned about these things.
So, yeah, that was really--
- So, you leave the camp
with not only a immersion experience in theater production
but also a cultural experience, as well.
- Yes, a cultural experience. - Thank you so much, Niya!
- You're welcome!
[shouting, groans, slide whistle]
A learning experience that all pays off
with a public performance.
[hitting the floor, laughter]
- Ka-boom!
- Ha-ha, ha-ha!