artivism emphasizes appeal to maximize interest and value. While recognizing it cannot be everything to everyone, it does its best to attract those it can and maintain their attraction by crossing, mixing, and combining genres, spanning the decades of available music, implementing theater, dance, design, and visual arts to engage the other senses, and tapping into recent artists, trends, and developments to cater to the primary audience — students.

artivism creates custom arrangements, scores, & learning aids along with shorter, targeted rehearsals utilizing rote teaching methods to maximize participation regardless of musical experience and ability. We leverage oral traditions and experiential learning to lower the barrier to entry. This means socioeconomically -challenged students lacking access to music teachers and tutors or those who have been told or told themselves they cannot sing are still able to participate via choral applications.

artivism disrupts conventional approaches to fostering youth and the young at heart to change the world on their own turf and terms. Our emphasis on audio & visual production, recording & mastering, digital distribution, and integrated software solutions leverages our approach to technology to better engage and excite our clientele and audiences in addition to maximizing the quality of our products. Likewise, through expanded social media emphasis and intercollegiate networking, our reach can be broadened to youth of varying demographics and geographical bases via strategic partnerships with aligned organizations, from schools, to nonprofits and for-profit businesses.

Our primary aim is to cultivate cultured citizenship through music, media, and movement. While we are committed to activating an entire generation, building a movement takes time, resources, and the right strategic partners to broaden participation without losing impact. As they say, “a practical process is a sustainable one” — hence, finding synergies, efficiencies, and aiming for economies of scale are of practicable importance.

As a consequence of the pandemic, our team developed a replicable virtual format to the live competition. The show’s pre-recorded performances are executed with a balanced approach to ensure quality while simultaneously providing the raw effect of live performances. This format allows for asynchronous participation both from the audience and the student performers, enabling the showcasing of abilities in conjunction with watching, voting, and judging from wherever and (to a certain extent) whenever.

artivism’s work and programming has had a significant impact on youth in the following ways:

• Opportunities to develop both behaviorally and professionally with the charge to create cultured citizens capable of enhancing the world around them; akin to a modern-day “finishing school”

• Expanded Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the community; Equity cannot happen without inclusion

• Systematic approaches to development in students from underserved populations

• Coaching & counseling for individual students to enhance their ability to articulate how they are feeling in relation to what is happening in the world of art

• Artistic development for student artists and music performers to use their voice, redefine their identity as singers, musicians, and dancers by molding raw talent and developing untapped potential

• Intra-institutional interaction between various communities within the university