Capturing Community - Connecting with Queens Leaders
Pictured above from left to right: Ashley Watford, Celina Griffith Johnson, Jordanny Nunez, Sandy Rivera Lopez, Shanice Hanford, Soraya Bissoon, Theoneil Brown, Xakaiyah Ketter
“What I found the most interesting was being so close to people like CEOs and being able to interview them and ask them questions. You got to see where they work and hear stories from people you wouldn’t get to speak with on just any typical day.”
This summer, as part of Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment Program, a team of nine Youth Apprentices (YAs) made a short documentary about local leaders in Jamaica, Queens. Working under the guidance of CAW Teaching Artists Sofia Pujol and Syr-Ivan Bennett, and in collaboration with CAW’s long-standing partner Queens Community Justice Center (QCJC), these young filmmakers interviewed business owners, community leaders, and government officials and asked them questions ranging from what their first job out of college was to what a typical day of work looks like for them.
The film features interviews with Justin Rogers, CEO of The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation; Mark Coleman, who councils young men on probation; Brian White, CEO of The Thomas White, Jr., Foundation; and Tyquana Henderson-Rivers, Founder, President, and CEO of Connective Strategies, a political and government relations firm.
Queens Community Justice Center Multimedia Team interviewing Greater Jamaica Development Corporation President and CEO, Justin Rodgers
“They have been really receptive to what they are learning. They have become incredibly confident with being documentary filmmakers and with the interview process, and they have no problem commanding a room and going in and out of conversations with different people.”
Their aim was to share the wisdom gained from these interviews in an unconventional, yet charming style. Finding inspiration from the 2001 short film “Waking Life,” the crew at QCJC utilized stop-motion animation and other mixed-media techniques to give their film a hand-made charm. Their goal was to create a visually captivating narrative that not only highlights the impact of these leaders but also engages viewers in a deeply immersive experience, making the stories of Jamaica both timeless and resonant with its current audience.
Read the Commemorative Brochure
Watch The “Power of Leadership”
Photo Gallery: QCJC Youth Apprentices Collecting Stories of Leadership
A World Premiere
“The Power of Leadership” had it’s world premiere on Thursday, August 8th, 2024, at Greater Nexus in Jamaica. The event was well-attended and featured a screening of their film followed by a Q&A with the young filmmakers and accolades from CAW Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur, QCJC Youth Developer Wesley Thompson, and QCJC Program Director Lisa Kociubes Lavitt. Other attendees included family and friends of the filmmakers as well as staff from CAW, QCJC and The Center for Justice Innovation.
OUR PEOPLE
“The Power of Leadership” Team
Syr-Ivan Bennett, Teaching Artist
Sofia Pujol, Teaching Artist
Riki Sabel, Program Manager
Staff
Karen Jolicoeur, Executive Director
Ian Newton, Director of Finance and Administration
Riki Sabel, Program Manager | Teaching and Learning
Donna Manganello, Program Manager
Kevin Claiborne, Program Manager
Ivory Nunez-Medrano, Community Artmaking Initiatives Coordinator
Emilio Vides-Curnen, Operations Coordinator
Madeline De León, Program Associate
Clair Vogel, Development Manager
Scott Lucas, Marketing & Communications Manager
Jill Goldstein, Office Manager
Andrés Piedrahita, Development & Marketing Associate
Board of Directors
Brian Ricklin, President
Andrew D. Levin, Chairman
Steven Soutendijk, Treasurer
Julia Sanabria, Secretary
Lauren Cascio
Mosely Chaszar
Scott Corneby
Charmaine Davis-Murray
Gail Holcomb
Cary Levy
John Maher
Gabe Marans
Carol Rosenberg
Andrew Stern
Tiffany Theriault
OUR PARTNERS
OUR THANKS
Creative Art Works' programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Public Art Youth Employment Program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional program funders include the Find Your Light Foundation, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, the Ponce de Leon Foundation, and the William Talbot Hillman Foundation.
