3rd EyE Unlimited

Elevate Prize funding and support would help create a sustainable resource in our New Bedford, MA. housing developments by facilitating educational creative workshops, fitness activities, physical and mental health screening for residents. Connecting them to vital resources that are out of geographical reach or lack of awareness. Besides serving the goal is to become a sustainable resource to the community and not just a program. 

The New Deadford Survivor Series 2020, held at the New Bedford Housing Authority's Blue Meadows property was a month of creative workshops (creative writing, photography, gesture drawing and layout) and working with local artists to create a chapter in the upcoming NEW DEADFORD greaphic novel.

3rd EyE Unlimited has been an entity build on empowering youth since the early 90's. We strive to create sustainable, creative programming for low-income, at-risk youth with the New Bedford Housing Authority's children at the Blue Meadows property and Our Sisters' School (New Bedford) with the New Deadford Survivor Series and graphic novel. With this Lead artist and creator Fitzcarmel LaMarre's graphic novel vehicle and outreach program we hope to fill the void.

New Deadford Survivor Series is an educational, art-based, mentoring, community inclusion project with several facets. There’s a youth outreach component designed to enrich at-risk underserved youth with creative workshops. Participants will help create a body of work to be published in the NEW DEADFORD graphic novel. At its core the New Deadford graphic novel is a historical fiction, graphic novel, commissioning local artists / designers at a fair wage. Positively promoting the rich history of New Bedford and the strategic geography are used to tell a captivating tale of how for the third time our city will become the richest city in the world, amidst the zombie apocalypse.

In the future, we hope to begin creating and producing the original concepts  of the children to be published.

This program is set up at the Housing developments, a walk away. Youth who participate will be involved in the creative process of a professional artist creating a graphic novel. They will also be characters in the family friendly chapters created. Themes on vaccination, teamwork and social justice are current topics handled during sessions. We hope too be able to replicate this  program with other occupations to show children other options of skills and future employment.

We are showing children creative employment opportunities by bringing artists, writers, comic book artists, photographers from their community to share techniques and the resources used in the city to sell, promote and engage the public and ultimately make a living. We are also mentoring young adults (ages 21-26), while they are hired as co-facilitators/

I apologize, no global stats. Survivor Series participant Gloria Wilson (now 13) and her single father (now 62) I've known 7 years. I know the need by name.

The new approach being taken with the New Deadford Survivor Series is bringing a resource to the footsteps of the need art educating creatively through art. Anything can be taught through art and the kids have no idea they are learning about their community, building relationships with professionals and mentors in their community, the city's rich history, professional grade equipment and themselves. We are empowering them at home. The need is year round unlike grant cycles. These funds would help make the difference from a program to a resource.

We are a part of the community helping heal itself with what we have. We choose to create sustainable programing to ensure we are available to serve the community all the time. We do not want to be reliant on grant funding and donations.

We have two more Survivor Series planned at the New Bedford Housing Authority's Blue Meadows property in June. Our Sisters School in New Bedford will be in August for a week, as we pilot the program there.

June: Promotion of grants awarded and project via social media (Facebook & Instagram) / Participant Application process and selection of participants through New Bedford Housing Development Staff / supply and materials purchase and organization

Week 1-2: Survivor Series Workshop COVID-19 Health Theme introduction / Story arc recap / Creative Writing Workshops 

Week 3: Survivor Series Workshop Vaccination Awareness / Gesture drawing / Photography

Week 4: Survivor Series Workshop Character profile development / character sheets / Certificate Of Completion Ceremony

Week 5-7: Production of SURVIVOR SERIES 2.0 COVID-19 Survival Handbook / Social media promotion of workshops upcoming awards ceremony 

Week 8: Awards ceremony with trophy presentations, Showcase SURVIVOR SERIES 2.0 COVID-19 Survival Handbook with free promotional t-shirts, posters and stickers. Available for free at local libraries, recreation centers (Andre McCoy, Dennison Memorial, Southcoast Health’s R.A.A.A.P Program, Boys & Girls Club of Greater New Bedford and YMCA