With support from the California Arts Council, Your Big Voice Foundation (YBV) will implement the Vocal Resilience Project to restore agency in marginalized communities and educational sectors. Using a proprietary somatic vocal methodology, the project addresses trauma-induced silencing and vocal strain. Funds will be allocated as follows:
• Artistic Leadership ($15,000): Living-wage stipends for Lead Somatic Practitioners and guest artists to facilitate workshops.
• Participant Support ($5,000): Full scholarships to the Embodied Voice Portal (EVP), including six months of weekly coaching by Hannah Grant in a trauma-aware, inclusive virtual practice space.
• Evaluation ($3,000): Analysis of Vocal Agency Scale data and video documentation for district-level proof-of-concept.
• Administration ($2,000): Essential oversight for community outreach and partnership coordination.
This initiative integrates arts-based expression with health strategies to reclaim personal and professional agency.
Your Big Voice provides a comprehensive, voice-driven healing journey through a suite of somatic and creative interventions designed to move participants from “silence to impact.”
• Embodied Voice Portal (EVP): Our primary digital sanctuary and service hub. The EVP hosts live, expert-led weekly practice sessions and 1-1 coaching, providing a “witnessed space” for participants to engage in ongoing vocal reclamation and somatic regulation.
• Deep Dive Sessions: Intensive workshops that integrate singing and speaking to help individuals process trauma stored in the body. These sessions focus on the physical restoration of the voice for the 5-10% of the population suffering from trauma-induced voice disorders.
• Targeted Outreach for Educators: Specialized wellness modules and “Train-the-Trainer” resources designed to mitigate the 30% rate of chronic vocal strain among teachers, ensuring they can sustain their leadership and vocal health in the classroom.
• Partnerships & Cohorts: Collaborative programs with community organizations that offer identity-focused support for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, creating safe environments to dismantle the effects of systemic silencing.
• Scholarships & Access: A commitment to economic justice that provides full financial support for marginalized individuals to access the EVP and our “Vocal Trauma Support” modules.
• Documentation & Scaling: An evidence-based initiative that utilizes the Vocal Agency Scale (VAS) to track somatic symptoms and confidence, ensuring our methodology can be scaled as a proven model for public health and social equity.
Through these integrated services, YBV transforms vocal expression into a scalable tool for personal agency and community resilience.