How Teenagers-Led Arts Venues Such as T.A.C.O. Are Important Now More Than Before
Teen Artists' Creative Oasis (T.A.C.O.) is a space where young people can explore their own creative expression as an outlet for empowerment and self-expression. T.A.C.O. examines how youth-led arts spaces help develop both the creative process of young artists and their ability to engage with their communities.
6/18/20264 min read
Teen Artists' Creative Oasis (t.a.c.o.) was created for a simple yet great cause: young Artists will need places where they can create free, be respected, and be able to do things together on their own. There is much youth creativity in Chicago, however there are very few spaces which are accessible, youth centered, and have value. And that is the spot for t.a.c.o.
T.a.c.o. Is a collective led by teens of youth art based out of Chicago. While it is more than an art program or event series, it is a collective made by trust and working collaboratively. By hosting exhibits, live performances, workshop, and cultural activities, t.a.c.o. Provides youth with space to not only share their works but also to lead the way of how those works are shown and experienced.
A main thing about the project is that if we give young Artists true power over their creative actions?
Young People's Creative Engagement as Real-Time Leadership
Teens engaging in exhibits, performances, creating promotional products, and planning local community events are not just making art; they're demonstrating how to lead. Teens learn decision-making, problem-solving, communication, collaboration with others toward common goals, and how to get groups of people together around one vision.
Young people develop these transferable skills when participating in youth creative engagement. These skills will help guide them as they navigate future schooling, employment opportunities and self-efficacy in their capacity to effect positive changes.
Organizations working to engage youth have shown research that incorporating the arts into their programs increases involvement, leadership skills for youth participants, and connections to their communities. This demonstrates the direct support creative spaces provide to both individual and societal development. https://www.etr.org/yen/news/why-arts-should-be-a-part-of-your-youth-engagement-strategy/
T.A.C.O. provides an example of applying this concept by taking the theoretical model of arts-based youth engagement and transforming it into a form of real-time, community-based and socially-lived practice.
Creative ownership shapes identity
Adolescence is a time of forming identity. Access to spaces where young Artists can take control of creative production plays a significant role in that development. At t.a.c.o., youth Artists are not merely participants, they are decision makers. They determine what theme exhibitions will have, how events will happen, and what overall tone of each event will have. For example, a first time performer stepping on a t.a.c.o. Stage isn't just performing a song, he/she is contributing to a collective experience that he/she had a hand in creating. When a visual artist displays his/her artwork at a curated location she/he is not only showcasing her/his work, she/he is setting the visual tone of the event itself.
The transition from participant to creator to leader is possibly the best transformation that t.a.c.o. Produces.
Community creates creativity
one key element of t.a.c.o. Is community. Art doesn’t thrive in seclusion. It thrives by having conversations, collaborating, and by being part of a collective experience.
T.a.c.o. Integrates that idea of community within it's process. The events are constructed to inspire movement, communication, and collaboration. Photography may be displayed next to a live performance. Spoken word may transition into visual display. Pop-up installations may transform into spaces where strangers collaborate.
Creativity becomes social within these types of environments. Musicians meet designers who create poster designs. Writers meet performers who bring their written words to life. Designers work with coordinators to create and enhance the look and feel of the space.
How does independent youth-led initiatives fit into all of this?
Independent youth-led initiative's like t.a.c.o. Fill gaps that public programs or schools find difficult to accomplish due to limited resources. Independent youth-led initiatives provide youth with creative freedom while providing authentic and emotionally invested models of learning.
This type of environment is especially beneficial in large cities like Chicago. While there is a lot of artistic talent in Chicago the access to creative venues is unbalanced.
The ripple effects of creating places
The effects of youth-led arts collectives go well past the actual events themselves. An individual exhibition could have lasting friendship relationships, future collaborations, and new creative paths. one performance could provide a young musician enough confidence to begin developing their craft seriously. A small conversation could change how someone believes in their own capabilities.
Over time all these little moments add up to create something greater; a collection of young creators that believe they are part of a shared culture system.
Closing thoughts
Youth-led arts spaces are not just artistic projects; they are environments were leadership, identity, and creation occur in real time. These environments demonstrate what becomes possible when you allow young people to build, organize and express themselves before requiring permission.
T.a.c.o. Will continue to grow since young Artists continue to come with ideas, energy, and desire to build something together. Not only will they contribute to the community they are building; they will start to build the future of art too.
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