Digital Arts are “extra important right now because youth in schools are going through so much… filmmaking is such a powerful way of getting people to tell their stories, of making meaning of what’s happening to them.” Alyssa Kuzmarov

Current circumstances have demanded that we rely more and more on the digital world to connect, educate, and create, accessing constantly evolving technology and media.  In today’s world, how do we inspire students in their digital citizenship and develop their creative potential using technology?

Our Film, Photo and Digital Media Artists lead students with all levels of experience and access to technology, creating projects aligned with subject-specific learning goals in STEM, English Language Arts, Visual Art, and more. We hope to inspire students to tell their stories, share their voices, and connect with their communities using the medium that now powers their world.

All of our ArtistsInspire Artists are vetted for their professional work and experience engaging children and youth. Our stellar cast of Film, Photo & Digital Media Artists includes:

 Colleen Leonard, Alyssa Kuzmarov, Chris Alsop, G. Scott MacLeod, Sam Asmar, Samara Chadwick, Stefan Verna, Kiran Ambwani, Susan Fuda, Wiebke von Carolsfeld, Kathleen Walsh Moleski

Our Artists agree that one of the strengths of their discipline is storytelling. Through storytelling, students get to know themselves better and become more savvy consumers. One example of this is Sam Asmar’s workshop The Marketing Brainiacs Make a Video Ad,  in which students explore their favorite brands. With Sam’s guidance students create their own products, write commercial scripts, perform on camera, and then edit a final video.  One parent enthused about the “Make a Video Ad” workshop, “The live workshops were fun and engaging. My son loved the class – one of the best online experiences he’s had so far.”

Alyssa Kuzmarov considers the Digital Arts as “extra important right now because youth in schools are going through so much. They have so many extra restrictions and extra stressors and extra anxieties, and filmmaking is such a powerful way of getting people to tell their stories, of making meaning of what’s happening to them.” To these ends, Alyssa leads programs designed as platforms for self-expression in which students learn invaluable social skills such as communication and teamwork through making music videos or short documentaries.

Chris Alsop stresses that making art is about connection. “The goal of creating… is to connect with the viewer, to connect with the audience, and you know connection today is definitely in short supply. I would argue that film and video, and arts actually in general, are needed now more than they ever have been.” According to Chris, Film and Video teaches valuable skills such as “problem solving and thinking outside the box. It teaches technology. It promotes continuous learning, and at the core of film and video production, it’s teamwork.” Concerned about access to technology? As Chris says, “the beauty with learning film and video production in 2021 is the abundance of material online, and it’s all free.”

Get in touch with ArtistsInspire and let our experts guide your students in workshops and activities that will bolster their creative skills using the technology and platforms that  drive our digital world.

For more information, see:

Artist Profiles (select Film & Video in the search engine)

School Grant guidelines and application

For complete ArtistsInspire interviews:

Chris Alsop: What does film and video bring to schools today?

Alyssa Kuzmarov: What Does Film Offer Schools In These Times?

For students’ work from Sam Asmar’s ArtistsInspire workshop ‘Make a Video Ad’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3LpspI1rW0&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=inlite10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj1t0loz4Ww&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=inlite10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8vNSasSrn8&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=inlite10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFHc2OoQX4&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=inlite10