TeenTix Blog by TeenTix

EMP’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is hosting Oh Snap!, a photography contest highlighting live performances in the Seattle music scene.

A maximum of eight winners will be selected to have their photographs displayed in Soundboard Alley at EMP, a youth-designed and curated section of the museum. Those selected will also win tickets and passes to events hosted by EMP partners Vera Project, The Crocodile, and Youth in Focus. The winners will be chosen by the Youth Advisory Board.

Youth Voice, Youth Choice is a new Participatory Budgeting (PB) Initiative from the City of Seattle. Focusing on engaging people who have historically not been involved in government, PB is a democratic process where community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget.

Youth Voice, Youth Choice involves four steps. First, community members will come up with ideas for public projects they would like to see in their communities. Second, youth volunteers will turn those ideas into concrete proposals with support from the Department of Neighborhoods and City staff. Third, Seattle youth will vote for the projects they would like to see implemented in their communities. Fourth, the winning projects will be funded and implemented by the City of Seattle and other local agencies.

Spring has almost sprung, and our partners' education programs are in full swing! Check out these opportunities below and make the most of the season.

Henry Teen Collective @ Henry Art Gallery February 25 through May 12 Thursdays, 3:30–5:00 PM

Big, super happy, exciting news: TeenTix just added FOUR new partner organizations to our list! Wowza, this list is growing fast--give a warm welcome to our newest additions: Hugo House, Moisture Festival, West of Lenin, and Mirror Stage!

Very exciting news is on the horizon--TeenTix is working with a group of incredible folks to build a mobile app so you can have your pass/our calendar wherever you go!

The thing is--we can't do it without your feedback. Fill out this survey and enter to win ~prizes~: tickets to Brooklyn Bridge @ SCT, Unexpected Productions, and a couple of framed SEATTLE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE and SEATTLE OF THE DEAD old-movie-themed posters. The survey closes on February 3rd, so fill it out TODAY! The sooner we have your help, the more time our team has to work on it and make it the best app of your life. #trill

Is this real life, or are we dreaming? *pinch* OH YEAH NO IT'S REAL. Teatro ZinZanni is now a TeenTix partner! (Our 60th, at that!)

Please join TeenTix in welcoming foundry10 into our growing list of FRENZ (aka Community Partners)! Foundry10 is a not-for-profit educational organization. They see learning as an opportunity to be curious and explore both inside of classrooms and beyond. Their work includes running programs, collaborating with teachers and industry partners, and conducting scientific research, all to build an expanded and accessible understanding of what it means to learn.

Always offering some sort of awesome, student-led free or extremely low-cost opportunities ($1 a class, what!)–especially in the areas of dance (from hip-hop to ballet) the performing arts, and music-making–they're most active in the fringes of Seattle. For instance, check out what they have going on in the next few weeks in Tacoma and Edmonds!

As all you old school TeenTixers know, Pacific Northwest Ballet's wildly popular Nutcracker ballet is the only PNB show all year that is not TeenTix eligible. However, because they love us so much, PNB always puts aside a little stash of TeenTix tickets for one Nutcracker performance each year. It is an amazing, annual tradition that draws teens from far and wide. You won't want to miss it.

And this year, there's a new Nutcracker in town. PNB’s production of George Balanchine's Nutcracker features all new sets and costumes designed by children’s author and illustrator Ian Falconer (Olivia the Pig). This year's TeenTix-able Nutcracker show is Sunday, December 27th, 2015 at 5:30 PM.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to go to Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Emergence. The program featured four contrasting pieces, each of which were incredibly unique, and brought a different tonality to the theater.

To begin the program, the curtain opened up to a piece titled Sum Stravinsky choreographed by Kiyon Gaines, that made its world premiere in 2012. I found it to be an excellent way to introduce the program. It is exactly what one imagines when they think of ballet–while the following pieces were extraordinarily unique and contemporary. The set and costumes are composed of shades of blue, and have a sort of delicacy to them. The dancers movements feel newly classic and youthful. I got a sense of innocence and nostalgia watching this piece.

It's in YOUR power to ensure that life-changing arts experiences remain within reach for all teens! Donate to TeenTix before December 31st.

Tis' the season for giving, and when you give to TeenTix you can start the new year knowing that you did your part to keep safe, enriching, empowering, inspiring arts experiences accessible to ALL young people.

The exhibit Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art at the Seattle Art Museum features artists many have heard of, but not always the style or subject we’re used to. The 71-piece collection from the National Gallery of Art, most of which were donated by siblings Ailsa and Paul Mellon, is comprised of works that were meant to be shown indoors, in domestic spaces. Most of these paintings were done in the 1860s and 70s, but were never shown in salons. Many were meant as gifts from the painter to a friend or fellow Impressionist, so the exact date they were made is unclear. All the Impressionists you’ve heard of are in the show: Manet, Renoir, Monet, Boudin, Cézanne, Bonnard, with a few Post-Impressionists like Gauguin and Van Gogh thrown in for good measure. Being a huge fan of Impressionism, I loved all of the paintings, but three stood out. The first I noticed was Eugene Boudin’s “Coast of Brittany”. Made in 1870, most likely in France, the oil-on-canvas painting drew my attention because of the lighting. It is dark on the foreground over the water with moody clouds, but the light drastically changes toward the center of the painting, which portrays the far-off coast. The town on the hillside is beautiful, with not more than two or three brushstrokes making up each house, but it is still obvious that is a quaint little French-countryside town. The next piece that I fell in love with was a little country scene by Alfred Sisley, called, plainly, “Meadow”. The scene depicts workers bending over, picking a nondescript grain, with other beautifully checkered fields behind them. I was drawn to this painting because it is so bright and cheery. I was also impressed with how the viewer can tell what the workers were doing, even though they are very simply done. The clouds are fluffy cotton balls on a sky of bright blue.

"Meadow" by Alfred Sisley. Photo by Harper M.

TeenTix’s The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society is holding inaugural elections for its ~Leadership Board~, expanding beyond the singular role of President, held by Coco Allred of Skyline High School.

Joining Coco will be the newly-formed roles of Vice President, Secretary/Historian, Finance/Philanthropy Chair, Events Chair, and Peer Engagement Chair.

The Teeny Awards are TeenTix’s teen choice awards for regional arts and cultural organizations and events. This year, we decided to honor a real-life teen, nominated by their peers! Here are the youth advocates nominated this year:

WALKER CAPLAN Walker Caplan is thrilled to be nominated alongside so many inspiring teens by such an amazing, far-reaching youth arts access program. She is the founder and producer of 14/48: HS (The World’s Quickest Student Theater Festival), which brings teens of diverse experiences together to create powerful and relevant theater in a supportive, risk-encouraging environment. Over the last year 14/48: HS brought together students from 18 different public and private schools in the Seattle area and was lauded as a stand-out event by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. Walker serves on Seattle Children’s Theatre’s Teen Advisory Group as well as having volunteered there throughout high school. Her writing has been recognized by The Adroit Journal, Polyphony H.S., Scholastic Arts and Writing, Young Playwrights Inc., and Blank Theatre. She is a YoungArts 2015 winner in writing, and her original plays have been performed in New York and Seattle. She volunteers as an editor for Young Playwrights for Change and Polyphony H.S., and edits and teaches prose writing at Winter Tangerine Review. When she’s not advocating for the arts, Walker may be found acting with Seattle Musical Theatre, STAGEright Theatre, Seattle Public Theatre, YATC, and Lungfish Productions among others. She’s inspired by the vibrancy and inclusion of the Seattle arts community.

In June I graduated high school, and in a few weeks I’ll be moving out of my parents’ home and beginning college. Summer is drawing to a close and reflecting back on it, Culture Writing 101 was one of the coolest (although it was pretty hot) parts of my summer.

The first class was right after my freshman orientation at the University of Washington Seattle campus. I got stuck in rush-hour traffic and ended up being late to the first day! But the minute I walked in, I felt welcome. As I sat down and was greeted by the lovely Ijeoma Oluo, our teacher, I immediately felt like this was where I belonged. We discussed current events and news items and I found myself among peers who shared my opinions and love and passion for social justice that I’ve felt all my life. At my predominantly white, suburban, middle-class high school, people often care more about prom or football games than police brutality or LGBTQIA+ issues. In this class I even found people who read the same feminist blogs as I did!

We are thrilled to share the list of nominees for the 2015 Teeny Awards! The Teeny Awards celebrate the best in Seattle arts and culture according to TeenTix members. Their goal is to elevate and celebrate youth voices in the arts community, and to acknowledge those organizations that have done a particularly good job welcoming teens over the last year. Teeny Awards 2015 Nominees

BEST YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM Teen Ensemble, Driftwood Players Seattle Children's Theatre Drama School Teen Docent Program, Bellevue Arts Museum MOHAI Youth Advisors Summer at Cornish Teen Arts Group, Seattle Art Museum Youth Advisory Board, EMP Museum YouthCAN, Wing Luke Museum Short Shakes, Seattle Shakespeare Company Youth Programs, Seattle Public Theater 14/48 High School FutureWave, SIFF Rising Star Project, 5th Avenue Theatre THE EVOLUTION AWARD For the art that best showcased the work of young artists or engaged topics related to youth Hair, ArtsWest Grease, 5th Avenue Theatre NFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth This is Our Youth, Young Americans' Theatre Company 14/48 High School Young Playwrights Festival, ACT Theatre THE KINDLING AWARD For the work that most artfully illuminated a social issue or sparked civic dialogue Here and Now, The Burke Museum The Invisible Hand, ACT Theatre Angels in America, Intiman Theatre Slip/Shot, Seattle Public Theater Black is the Color of My Voice, CD Forum for Arts & Ideas THE EVERYTHING OLD IS COOL AGAIN AWARD For a great work first created 50 or more years ago The Four Seasons, Seattle Baroque Orchestra/Early Music Guild Our Town, Strawberry Theatre Workshop Ariadne auf Naxos, Seattle Opera Othello, Seattle Shakespeare Company Don Quixote, Pacific Northwest Ballet THE ?! AWARD For an unexpected contemporary work Lizard Boy, Seattle Repertory Theatre R.A.F.T. (Rabbits Afloat From Thuringia), Washington Ensemble Theatre Donald Byrd's Carmina Burana, Spectrum Dance Theatre [UNTITLED] series, Seattle Symphony Delfos Danza Contemporanea: Cuando los Disfraces se Cuelgan, UW World Series THE KALEIDOSCOPE AWARD For the most transporting work Slaughterhouse 5, Book-It Repertory Theatre Cineastas, On the Boards Laser Dome, Pacific Science Center Rocky Horror Picture Show, Renton Civic Theatre Transfigured Night, Music of Remembrance with Spectrum Dance Theatre THE ROFL AWARD For the funnest way to not think about finals Twisted Flicks, Jet City Improv Our Gay Apparel, Seattle Men's Chorus What We Do in the Shadows, SIFF As You Like It, Seattle Shakespeare Company A Christmas Story, 5th Avenue Theatre THE BEST AESTHETICS AWARD For great design Robin Hood, Seattle Children's Theatre Pop Departures, Seattle Art Museum Indie Game Revolution, EMP Museum The Piano Lesson, Seattle Repertory Theatre Ann Hamilton: A Common S E N S E, Henry Art Gallery

About a month ago, I shadowed the jobs of members of the Starbucks Newsroom at Starbucks Headquarters. Yes, coffee heaven. Often when we imagine what something will be like, we tend to picture it better than how it is in reality. (I still consider myself a child in this aspect.) However, when I went to coffee heaven, I was out-imagined by Starbucks. The bittersweet aroma of roasted coffee beans filled the air as I walked up to the elevator. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight—the eighth floor was where I was supposed to wait. Once I met with the Newsroom Director, we went straight into the newsroom meeting. Here, I met the rest of the newsroom staff, people with diverse interests and roles in the newsroom. The meetings started out with a delicious tea tasting. The staff talked about news ideas, stories they needed to follow up with, and new systems to make communication easier between the editors and the photographer.

A small presentation was made by the photographer. She laid out a set of pictures. They were iconic pictures and posters, including "V-J Day in Times Square" and Joe Rosenthal's "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima." She then took out another photo she took of a soldier smiling so widely you naturally wonder what he is looking at. I saw the humanity in her photos—something spontaneous, mind-boggling, and hauntingly beautiful. As a musician, an artist, and a performer, I saw the members of the newsroom and their souls shine through their work. Their work, their life, and their being was their art.

We’ve all seen movies. We all have our opinions. But who would think that a teenager’s opinion of movies could impact anything? Seattle International Film Festival’s FutureWave program gives teens just that opportunity—for their opinions to matter and be taken seriously in the world of film.

SIFF’s FutureWave program allows youth to participate in the reviewing process of movies playing at the festival. For the 2015 festival, seven FutureWave Youth Jury members, 13-18 years old, viewed eight predetermined films and then deliberated to decide which would be awarded as Best FutureWave Feature, taking all aspects of the contending films, from plot to cinematography to acting, into their deliberations. The teen jurors were even invited to attend the Golden Space Needle Awards brunch at the top of the Space Needle to present the award.

It is 1992. In Georgia, a civil war is tearing the country apart. Estonian settlers are fleeing back to Estonia to escape. In the midst of this, Ivo and his neighbor Margus, both senior Estonian men, tend to their tangerine crop. They want to stay until the last of their tangerines is harvested, despite the war that’s coming increasingly near. When two injured soldiers turn up near their houses, Ivo and Margus take them in and care for them.

Such is the premise of writer and director Zaza Urushadze’s movie Tangerines, a film that is a moving tribute to the individual people whose lives are disrupted in wartime. Though it’s set in Georgia, it could easily be set anywhere, in any war. The theme of overcoming divisions and recognizing others’ humanity is so universal it has been done a thousand times; yet this movie’s characters are such fully fleshed out people the story feels unique.

Imagine your dear, sweet mother. She’s living a very plain life, making sure the laundry is done before starting dinner, making ends meet, and generally keeping everyone alive and happy. Now imagine that mother, who couldn’t hurt a fly, is now in a punk rock band. Hard to not laugh at, right? ArtsWest is bringing that image to life. Directed by Shawn Belyea, Angry Housewives is a delightful musical about four wives and girlfriends who are sick of living in the shadows of their husbands, sons, and exes. They decide to drop their responsibilities for one week to make some money in a no-holds-barred, punk rock battle of the bands. For Carol (Ann Cornelius), the extra cash means she can keep her car after her spouse’s death. For Jetta (Chelsea LeValley), it means not having to rely on her man-child husband. And for Bev (Heather Hawkins) and Wendi (Janet McWilliams), hey, who couldn't use a little extra cash in tough economic times?

Steeped in the culture of Seattle in the ’80s, Angry Housewives is thoroughly fun. While it's fairly obviously targeted to the real-life housewives in the audience, the characters are endearing and lovable. The music is consistently funny, and all of the songs are even catchier than you could imagine. Whether you relate to Bev’s “Generic Woman” or Tim’s (Trent Moury) “Hell School,” there will be a song in this musical to sum up your life. The book, written by A.M. Collins in Seattle in 1983, really sums up the way family dynamics work when families aren’t as perfectly nuclear as they seem. None of the characters are without flaws, but none of the characters lack redeeming qualities. This balance is what makes Angry Housewives really unique; while many performances love to rely on the infallible hero defeating the sinister villain trope, the normal struggles of these four women are compelling and funny without feeling forced. Angry Housewives runs through May 24, but when you show up, make sure you do so early—the opening shows sold out fast, and so will the rest of them!

It's finally that time of year again—the time to showcase young film directors from around the world. NFFTY is a stand out among film festivals for precisely the reason stated in its title; it's "for talented youth." Don't be thinking amateur, though. The directors, all under age 24, of NFFTY's selections have the creativity, skills, and vision to put them on par with the best. These are high quality, well-produced, and impressively directed films with beautiful cinematography and compelling acting.

Spanning the weekend of April 23 through 26, NFFTY features all types of film, from comedy and drama to horror, animation, and documentary. All featured films are shorts gathered into themed groups—like Northwest Life, Edge of Your Seat, and Musical Masterpiece—for screenings. So attending one showing at NFFTY actually means seeing several films!