About
Whitehaven Arts Alliance
WHO WE ARE …
Whitehaven Arts Alliance (WAA) was organized in June of 2022 to address causes of juvenile delinquency through programs that are Performing Arts driven. These programs are strategically designed to offer positive solutions to negative issues that our youth face in the Whitehaven community. The Performing Arts Development Corporation (The PADC) serves as the non-profit arm of the Alliance, engaging audiences and family participation in arts programming that helps them express themselves, in a safe environment.
The Whitehaven Arts Alliance (WAA) was formed when the Directors of the Performing Arts Development Corporation (PADC), T.L. Williams Academy of Dance, and the Haven for Healing combined their passion and resources to create an alliance for Dance, Theatre, and Social Work. From Hip-Hop to Shakespeare, to Broadway, the complements of Dance and Theatre propel our youth, ages 3 years and up, to explore the magical world of the Performing Arts!
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Whitehaven Arts Alliance inspires creativity in our youth while protecting their innocence.
"We ARE the Arts!"
WHAT WE DO …
The collaborative efforts of these three entities have provided an assortment of arts-integrated experiences for our community, under one roof.
WAA Student Artists develop technique, discipline, self-confidence and respect for others. Instruction is individualized to encourage appreciation for the Arts, facilitate each Student Artist's personal development, and help them explore their potential for excellence, with confidence.
WAA also offers onsite counseling support using Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) techniques for participating youth and their parents, focusing on the influence of social media on childhood trauma and negative self-esteem. Our target population is the low to moderate-income, single-family homes in Whitehaven, of which over 60% are African American.
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WAA Dream Big Project hopes to use the Arts to:
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reduce neighborhood tensions and build civic pride
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promote effective communication between generations
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offer exciting, creative, family and community-oriented alternatives of engagement
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positively affect outcomes associated with a strong community and family unit
HOW YOU CAN HELP …
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Sponsor a Student Artist Scholarship ($300 month/ $3,000 a school year)
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Adopt a WAA Arts Class Session, $100 Sponsorship Opportunities
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Donate and contribute to WAA Programs via our "Donate" button below.
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Join our Fiscal Year 2023 Capital Campaign, Twenty for Ten ($20 /per year) in honor of our decade of presenting Arts in the Whitehaven community.
Our Team
Whitehaven Arts Alliance (WAA) Directors realized the need for Inner-City children of Memphis to be introduced to and engaged in the Performing Arts.
The owners of T. L. Williams Academy of Dance, The Performing Arts Development Corporation and Haven for Healing decided to combine their passion for the Arts and their resources to create an alliance for Dance, Theatre and Social Work. The collaborative efforts of the three entities have allowed more youth to be given an assortment of arts-integrated experiences all under one roof.
L to R: Myra Moses, Lisa Thomas, & Tevita L. Williams-Dumas
