Arts Angle Vantage

ARTS ANGLE VANTAGE, a project of Arts Journalism Trust, has made strong impressions on the young people who have participated in our program since our beginning as a pilot program in 2018. Our work reflects our mission: to prepare youth from diverse backgrounds for success by providing them with access to the arts, empowering them to use their voices to create arts journalism that engages the community. 

WHAT TEENS TELL US: Teens say they learned more about themselves, formed friendships, and connected to the arts and the wider community. Having their work published with partner media and on our digital platform boosted their confidence. In their own words:

•  Not only did it help me become a better writer; it helped me become a better person. — Tia

•  It will push you to be more involved and it will push you to be more aware of things in your community that you maybe weren’t aware of before. — Jewel

•  The program gave me a passion for writing again. And it’s been the coolest activity I can look back on when I graduate. — Halle

CONNECTING YOUTH TO LOCAL ARTS: In our after-school publishing programs, teens get free opportunities to report on and write about visual arts, dance, film, and theater. They explore art and their community, learn about different art forms, write, and collaborate while covering local creativity. They interview artists and other creative professionals receive peer and one-on-one mentoring by professionals. And their work is published.

HOW WE ELEVATE YOUTH VOICES: Participant work is published on our website and in our partner media, including the Courier Journal, LEO Weekly, and high school publications and high school publications. 

OUR STORIES, OUR PROGRAMS: Our youth have reported on Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Speed Arts Museum's 2021 exhibit "Promise, Witness, Remembrance"; the touring production of “Hamilton” from the PNC Broadway in Louisville series; and Kentucky Shakespeare's and Pandora Production's joint staging of “Shakespeare’s R&J.”  

We have an audio storytelling program called Earshot.

This year we launched HeARTStories, a program with Home of the Innocents' residential program where participants report on community arts through writing and photography.

In January 2026, we launch the Arts Angle Newsroom for young people ages 14 to 19 to report on creative and arts events and issues. The newsroom gives, led by young ediitors working with mentors, gives participants access to arts and artists in our community, and pays them for their writing and reporting. Participants receive mentorship and support in honing a host of skills.