Jeremy Griffith - The Roof is on Fire

1. CONTEXT: What were the circumstances that framed the meaning and process of this project?

There are many minority teens in low-income, low-opportunity areas who have unheard voices. Their self-esteem isn't cultivated and all of their portrayal in the media is negative.

2. CONTENT: What was the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project?

Teen voices were unheard, opinions of them were based on negative media stereotypes, and many of them had very poor self-esteem.

3: FORM: What is the medium that was used to address or embody the content?

Immersive theatre in the form of car-conversations that audience members could eavesdrop on.

4. STAKEHOLDERS: Which are the groups or individuals that were invested in the project?

The teenagers were very invested because of their desire to free their voices. The adults who helped were invested because they wanted to help these kids start to change the narrative. And the donors were invested because they likely wanted to feel their money/services were not wasted.

5. AUDIENCE: For whom was this project conceived? 

For adults, primarily middle class white adults, to better understand how multi-faceted teenagers, primarily impoverished teenagers of color, truly are.

6. ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and others engaged/connected to the project?

There was a coordinated planning of the event including media coverage to ensure there were enough attendees and the project had a wide enough impact.

7. GOAL: What are this project's objectives?

To build understanding between teenagers and the rest of society and to empower the teenagers toward self-expression and self-worth.

8. VALUES: What were the project's guiding values or core beliefs? How were they expressed in the process?

That teenagers are capable of being very intelligent and good. That they are so much more than what they are so commonly portrayed as in the media. And that was expressed from the mouths of the teenagers themselves during the performance.

9. RESOURCES: What tangible and intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals?

Tangible: Cars, signs to decorate, parking garage, teenagers, time, money, adults, teachers, planners, the media, the community.

Intangible: Passion, patience, confidence, appreciation, listening.

10: OUTCOMES: What were the results of this project? 

The teenagers seemed to really appreciate being listened to, and the audience members seemed very surprised at how tragic the lives of many of these teenagers are.The audience seemed to feel that society had let the teenagers down and should be doing a lot more to take care of and encourage them.