Sitting alongside the Huron river, nestled into the sugar maples and pines, this building with its vibrant purple paint and bright wood siding, stands out from its neighbors. The Ozone House is the only agency in Washtenaw County that provides voluntary shelter and support services to youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Their services are available to individuals ages 10-24 and their families. They provide emergency shelter, a crisis line, counseling, job training, school support, resources for parents, a safe place to eat, assistance in finding housing and support for independent living.
For young people lacking stable housing, The Ozone House is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The organization’s core mission is to provide holistic support and housing services. As their mission statement explains, “Through these support services, we help youth develop essential life skills, improve their relationships, and enhance their self-image so that they may realize their full potential for growth and happiness.” When it comes to building self-image and raising youth voices, that is where Noise Permit comes in.
Noise Permit
Ramping up for its seventh summer in Ypsilanti, Noise Permit is a series of youth artist workshops for individuals aged 10-24. The program is a collaboration between The Ozone House and the Ypsilanti District Library (YDL). Noise permit is a means for young people in the area to express themselves through spoken word, visual arts, musical performance, videography and more. This year, Noise Permit has received an additional $15,000 grant from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council which they plan to use in the implementation of new equipment and programming.
Shayla Card-Nowlin, one of the program coordinators and a paraprofessional at YDL recently joined Lee Van Roth on 89.1 WEMU at On The Ground Ypsi where the two discussed the goals for the upcoming summer. In particular, how Noise Permit plans to use the additional funding. While Noise Permit runs over the course of two months, the program can be broken down into three core components.
Workshops
Firstly, over the course of the summer students will engage in creative workshops using Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), which can be used to create or record music. These workstations are available to youth artists at both the library and at the Ozone House Drop-in Center during the workshop portion of the program. With an additional 4 new DAWs this year there will be more technology available than ever before.
Card-Nowlin explained that in the past time constraints have been a problem. To remedy this issue, in addition to the new equipment, the recording sessions will be 30 minutes longer. Noise Permit has also created a set of about five “to-go” packs that youth artists will be encouraged to take between the library and Ozone house. Card-Nowlin emphasizes the impact of this additional equipment stating, “they’ll have a lot more accessibility to the creation.” Artists will also have access to digital cameras and other videography equipment which they can use to fine tune their work.
This year the videography workshops will be hosted by Joel Stralnic. Stralnic is the CEO and founder of SkyRat productions, an award-winning filmmaker, and Michigan native. His work seeks to build the film industry in Southeast Michigan. Dante Dorset will be hosting many of the music and composition related workshops. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Music Means More, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to connecting urban youth with technology and music.
Creative Content
Artists are encouraged to create art that reflects their interests and their passions. Regardless of medium, Noise Permit serves as a place for young people to honestly reflect and communicate their experiences with the world. This authenticity sits at the root of the program’s success
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“What has allowed Noise Permit to run as long as it has is community and passion to express ourselves. A lot of times, we’re in an environment sometimes or society that wants to suppress our feelings and how we want to share our stories. But our young people have their hunger…So, whatever you want to do, you’re gonna be allowed to do it. It’s not going to be a barrier or, ‘Oh, this is not the art that we do here, or we’re not doing it.’ No, we are doing it all!” Shayla Card-Nowlin said.
Table Talk
Next, a new component for this year, Wednesday Night Table Talk. This portion of the program will occur weekly as guest artists will share a meal with the youth artists participating in the program. The guest will answer questions regarding their creative process, art as a long-term practice, and the practical financial side of being a working creative. For example, discussing marketing through social media and the business element of artistic pursuits.
Stage performance
Finally, the program culminates in stage performances by youth artists on Friday, August 7, at YDL’s downtown Library Plaza. This performance will run from 6-8 pm and serve as a kind of spoken portfolio.
Card-Nowlin explains that the purpose of the performance is to showcase artist work, not to pressure people into proving the validity of their ideas, “how everybody has their voice heard at this event is we honor all types of art…you don’t want to be on stage, that’s perfectly fine. If you want to make a video, go ahead. We’re going to honor that as well.”
Paying young artists
One of the key changes this year, enabled by the grant from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, is that Noise Permit participants will receive payment for their work, time and effort. The payment will serve as a form of validation of the accomplishments by the youth artists. In essence, when you work you deserve to be paid for it.
“It’s important that we reinforce the ideas of us being creatives. And also our place in the world is knowing that it has a value to it. And sometimes, we also have our values that are emotions, values that are our friendships and our connections, but also that value is sometimes a dollar sign on this is the work I did, and I’m able to take that and go hang out with my friends or go provide at home,” Card-Nowlin said.
At a time when so much of the effort that goes into creative work is being devalued, Noise Permit affirms creation as a real career path.
For many young people creativity is something private and sacred. Programs like Noise Permit allow young artists to experience creative collaboration, community and performance. With so many new resources and ways for artists to work, Noise Permit’s final performance on August 7 might just be one for the history books.
