Youth Empowerment Performance Project

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YEPP seeks a safe environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) youth experiencing homelessness to explore their history, investigate new ways to address their struggles and to celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece.

 

YEPP uses harm reduction, social justice, transformative justice and education for liberation (theatre of the oppressed and popular education) frameworks to contain and guide the work. Meanwhile YEPP members participate in the program, we support them with resources around housing, employment, educational, legal and health resources, food, transportation, among other basic needs.

 

YEPP works with the ensemble members for one year: 6 months in the story telling, individual-group healing, and theatrical performance piece development, and 6 months traveling around the country performing, creating awareness and educating communities about LGBTQ street-based youth issues. As part of our mission to create awareness and educate communities, we facilitate workshops in which we incorporate theatre of the oppressed and popular education techniques.