"Writing for Life" at Compass House

Last Fall, Young Audiences of WNY’s “Writing for Life” residency took place at Compass House Resource Center, a non-profit that provides shelter and services for runaway youth in western New York. Teaching artists, Sherry Robbins and Kris Crossen combined efforts to provide a ten week residency that challenged participants to take a creative approach to expressing their thoughts and feelings.

"Writing for Life" at Compass House from Young Audiences on Vimeo.

Compass House youth gathered once a week after-school with Sherry and Kris and tackled some of life’s biggest questions: What do you wish for? What were you like as a child? How are you different now? What is your most significant memory? What will your legacy be?

The workshops were highly productive, giving participants the chance to organize their thoughts on paper and make visual art that represented their words.  The workshops created a safe, supportive place for participants to share their writings with their peers.

The residency also included a rousing performance by nationally regarded slam-poet and Young Audiences traveling artist, Gayle Danley, who visited the resource center in September.