With support from the California Arts Council, Culture Flow Projects (CFP) will expand access to free and affordable dance and wellness classes for local youth and adults. Grant funding will subsidize a portion of the lease for our physical space, PiYoDa Flow in West Adams, allowing us to provide rehearsal space and workshops for artists at reduced cost. The award will also support a part-time administrative position to support our off-site programming with incarcerated youth and manage daily operations, grant writing, and marketing for our on-site cultural center Piyoda Flow and community programming across South Los Angeles. Ultimately, this funding will support BIPOC artists of South LA with continuous cultural transmission, celebration and performances of Afro Diasporic, Street and Social dance.
Organization’s Core Programs and Services:
We offer:
– Weekly free and/or affordable dance classes and workshops with nationally and internationally recognized dance educators for youth and adults.
– On and off site outreach arts education programs at various institutions in our area of South Los Angeles.
– Anti-recidivism arts programming for system-impacted youth, currently incarcerated at Secure Youth Treatment Facilities (SYTF)
– Developing programming to impact youth formerly incarcerated through dance and wellness offerings off-site with partner organizations AHJN, Homeboy Industries and Los Angeles Probation Department.
– Space to research the history, origins and influences of Afro Diasporic Dance forms such as House, Afro Cuban, Hustle, Salsa, Timba, Capoeira, Samba, Sabar, Dances of Guinea, Togo, Benin and Contemporary dance practices, while allowing for the organic growth of the style through consistent multi-cultural influences in practice.
– Bi-weekly open dance sessions ‘Open House’ for dancers to train, practice, and develop their craft.
– Larger social dance events and forum discussions at various indoor and outdoor venues.
– A residency program for street and social dance artists (often referred as Hip Hop artists) interested in dance theater/experimental choreography and performances.
– Free and/or affordable wellness classes in yoga, pilates and sound bath meditation