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WE'RE GLOWIN' UP WITH A NEW NAME—HERE'S WHY
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Where we started over 10 years ago is pretty different from where we are today. A good name change can be very empowering when you're someone (or something, like a far-reaching nonprofit 💪) who's evolving and embracing important ch-ch-changes. Rockstars and gentlehumans, we're so proud to re-introduce ourselves as AMPLIFY ARTS PROJECT!
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The "Girls Rock Santa Barbara (SB)" name served us honorably over the last ~11 years as we established Santa Barbara-based summer camps, after school programs, and more all dedicated to empowering girls through music, namely by learning traditional "rock band" instruments, forming bands with peers, writing original songs, and performing live on stage for friends, family, and fans at rad local venues like the GRANADA THEATRE, Marjorie Luke Theatre, SOhO Music Club, and more.
We were girls, we undeniably rocked, and we were almost always gettin' loud somewhere around Santa Barbara County. Not to mention that back then we were part of the very cool Girls Rock Camp Alliance. But soon after we launched our organization with the "Girls Rock Santa Barbara (SB)" name, we expanded far beyond what the name implied, such as incorporating MUSIC PRODUCTION/sound engineering, PHOTOGRAPHY, film/music video making, journalism/zine making, even other cool (and male-dominated) disciplines like skateboarding!
Among lots of other cool programs, we now even have our very own YOUTH-RUN RECORD LABEL and internship program, SYRYN RECORDS! 🤩 And many of these programs stretch far beyond our OG home of Santa Barbara, like AMPLIFY SLEEP AWAY + DAY CAMP (in Ojai, CA) and SYRYN RECORDS (largely remote/virtual, with many in-person elements in L.A. but many youth participating from around the world!).
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Also very importantly, many of the 500+ youth we serve every year don't strictly identify as girls, and we see it as one of our most sacred duties to AMPLIFY our community's authentic voices. When we're as INCLUSIVE as possible to all unfairly marginalized voices, art forms, backgrounds, perspectives, and all the important aspects that make us beautifully, uniquely ourselves, everyone wins.
In almost every way that really matters, we're still the same scrappy, determined, feminist organization doing everything we can to EMPOWER GIRLS and gender-expansive youth through music education, the creative arts, community, and positive mentorship. We're still under the visionary leadership of Executive Director JEN BARON, as well as many of the board members, committee members, staff, volunteers, and more that helped get us and our life-changing youth programs started all those moons ago.
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For example, we couldn't be happier to boast having PROGRAM DIRECTOR SHANNA DOOLITTLE and DIRECTOR OF MARKETING + DEVELOPMENT JESS SHERWYN on our team now as unstoppable, full-time, year-round leadership members. Shanna's and Jess's involvement with us goes back all the way to beginning as a drum instructor in 2013 and a little baby UC Santa Barbara intern in 2012, respectively.
We know a thing or 2 about commitment and longevity, regardless of how our name may evolve. We will never stop showing up for our youth by providing brave, diverse, and inclusive spaces, in music and beyond. We will never stop envisioning an equitable world that celebrates creativity, embraces authenticity, and values all voices. If you have any questions at all, AMPLIFY ARTS PROJECT is ready to chat when you are:
jen@amplifyartsproject.org
(805) 699-5247
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Thanks as ever to our MAJOR + MONTHLY SUPPORTERS. You keep the lights on...in both our facilities and our hearts 😉💡🔆
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS • ZADIG&VOLTAIRE • STATE OF CALIFORNIA • CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL • SONOS • SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION • NORA MCNEELY + MICHAEL HURLEY • ACME HOSPITALITY • HUTTON PARKER FOUNDATION • CYNTHIA + JAMES LEE • HAZEN FAMILY FOUNDATION • KAPPY WELLS (TIDES FOUNDATION) • FIND YOUR LIGHT FOUNDATION • SAM DAVIS • JOHNSON OHANA FOUNDATION • HEATHER TAYLOR + TODD BOGDAN • TEGAN + SARA FOUNDATION • JOHN MCGOVERN • KIMBERLY + KYLE BRANUM • WELLS RYAN • BRONTEE RYAN
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