C4K youth filmmakers are proud to present the official premiere of their film, The Young & The Wild, on Friday, September 29, 2017, at Vinegar Hill Theatre (220 West Market Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902). Doors open at 6:00 pm. Free to all!
The Young & The Wild documents the journey of C4K teens leaving the city, and immersing themselves deep into nature for the first time. This summer, a group of C4K’s youth had an epic adventure in the woods and meadows of Wildrock – and documented the stories they uncovered. Join us for the premiere and Q&A of The Young & The Wild a short documentary that follows their journey: 6pm, Vinegar Hill Theatre on Friday Sept. 29, 2017.
Wildrock is a three-acre playscape, rich with history, in Crozet, VA. C4K members spent two weeks exploring the area, catching spiders and snakes, starting fires, sharing songs and stories, and learning a little more about who they are. With a focus on play, space, and exploration, C4K youth were able to look deeper into themselves and their roles in society, to uncover the stories of the land and share their own personal journeys of self-discovery.
QUOTE: “When youth are in nature, we know it reduces their stress responses. It helps to calm the part of their nervous system that goes into fight or flight. Youth get to be themselves in nature. They are a lot happier and more creative.” – Carolyn Schuyler, Wildrock Founder & Executive Director
The process was captured in a documentary film directed by Mark Wilson of LUCA Films, shot (using professional film equipment) by the youth themselves, and edited with our friends at Light House Studio.
● Youth gathered found materials (stones, fallen branches, berries, leaves) to create a storytelling land-art sculpture, to help future visitors to Wildrock share their own stories.
● Youth played indigenous musical instruments from the land’s earliest inhabitants and early settlers.
● Youth shared their own digitally created music and hosted a jam session that included a computer-based beat machine playing alongside a traditional roots-music banjo.
● Youth heard the stories of mountain folk, family traditions and their interactions with Shenandoah National Park.
● Youth learned the primitive skills their ancestors would have used: how to start their own fires, purify water, identify animals and edible plants.
● Youth meditated in silence, surrounded by the sounds of the forest.
As a result of their explorations, many of the youth unlocked their own abilities as storytellers and became an integral piece in the story of the very land they were visiting. Youth members met, collaborated with and interviewed:
● Founder and Executive Director of Wildrock, Carolyn Schuyler.
● Land Art and storytelling guide, Renee Balfour.
● Native poetry expert, Alanna Mahon.
● Naturalist educator, Deborah Andersen.
● Edible landscape expert, Jessica Small.
● Indigenous flute musician and storytelling guide, Jim Gangon.
● Blue Ridge Heritage Project historian, Larry Lamb.
● Local resident and storyteller, Lucy Garrison.
● Roots Music expert, Pete Vigour.
● Primitive Skills expert, Steve Pullinger.
The documentary could not have been made without the partnership and collaboration of Light House
Studio, whose dedication to helping youth develop skills as film-makers is invaluable for our city.
The Young & The Wild was made possible due to the generous support of: LUCA Films, Wildrock, Light House Studio, The Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and The Bama Works Fund.
About C4K: C4K is a free, after-school and summer mentoring program for youth in 7th -12th grade who qualify for free and reduced lunch and live in Charlottesville or Albemarle County.
Since 2001, C4K has offered a safe out-of-school time learning studio where volunteer mentors help underserved youth express themselves through technology while building new skills and sparking new interests for college and career success.
Our youth members discover new interests and acquire jobs skills as they create their own animations, robots, movies, science experiments, podcasts, websites, music, 3D projects, and so much more! Members that work with a mentor earn a free home laptop. Our programs help youth prepare for college and careers: 97% of our members graduate high school on time, and 92% have gone on to college.
Mentoring happens on site at our downtown location in the IX Building, near many city schools.
