AMAZING GRACE CONSERVATORY INC
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Mission Statement
The mission of Amazing Grace Conservatory (AGC) is to train and develop emerging artists and at-risk youth (ages 5-18) in the performing arts; offering well rounded, culturally enriching educational programs in an environment that is nurturing for personal, artistic and professional growth. An NAACP Award-winning /community-based non-profit located in South Los Angeles focuses on disciplines of acting, dance, voice and media arts that create the complete experience for the aspiring actor, writer, director or producer. AGC opens avenues of possibilities for youth to be seen and heard, to shine, re-connect and respect themselves and others by being inclusive and divergent thinkers who drive toward excellence with undeniable values, a place where hearts are healed and lives are changed.
About This Cause
Amazing Grace Conservatory (AGC) is a place where everyone is family. It is through this lens that lives are changed and hearts are healed because communication is happening at AGC. Founded in 1997 by the late Mr. Tracy Lamar Coley (1964-2002) and NAACP award-winning actress Wendy Raquel Robinson and cum laude graduate of Howard University. These artists shared a passion for the arts and love for children. Growing up in the inner cities of Los Angeles and Atlanta, they experienced firsthand the socioeconomic disadvantages that face children of color and recognized how their own exposure to the arts at a young age was the gift that allowed them to rise above inner-city societal threats, and emerge as successful performing artists. Together they made a commitment to improve the lives of generations of low and moderate-income youth, their families and the community at large by establishing a performing arts conservatory in South Los Angeles. AGC focuses on Artists as Scholars, with a 100% on-time high school graduation rate and with nearly 100% of our youth entering universities, post-secondary education or careers for the last 10 years. In memory of our co-founder, Tracy Lamar Coley(TLC), a graduate of Morehouse College, AGC has awarded more than $30,000 in competitive academic scholarships to graduating seniors for 15 years to youth who are continuing their education at a four year accredited college/university. This investment in our students’ success has been impactful beyond measure, examples such as alumni Deance’ Wyatt, a Clark/Atlanta graduate is currently Resident Stage Manager for Tyler Perry Productions. Deance’ was a TLC scholarship award recipient, who has created multiple opportunities for alumni to follow his path. Our NAACP award-winning program has inspired alumni such as Issa Rae, 2018 Emmy Award winner, Ashton Sanders (2017 Academy Award winner), Thomas Hobson (2019 Ovation Award winner) Elle Varner (2013 Grammy Nominee) with a foundation to excel in the entertainment industry. Entrepreneurs such as Kheris Rogers (Flexin’ My Complexion, showing resilience and fortitude to overcome negativity and use it to catapult success and Kristin Gordan millionaire featured in Essence Magazine Nov. issue as the entrepreneur and co-founder of Court Buddies, (an organization that provides attorneys for those facing court without representation). These students and alumni represent just some of the many examples of how AGC is providing transformative results, encouraging and supporting our students to imagine, think differently and find their voice. AGC’s integration of technical skills training, performing arts and academic tenets in writing, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration lead to success in school and in life. For 22 years, AGC has impacted the lives of over 6,000 youth through acting, voice, dance, spoken word, and recently expanded digital arts by giving youth a platform and voice to be heard and seen in a non-judgmental environment that is surrounded by positive images of both themselves and their community. Our curriculum replicates an authentic and practical approach to industry practices, focusing on artistic development, with sensitivity towards interpersonal growth. Students attend an array of classes taught by industry professionals and talented alumni, who both educate and mentor. Our program cultivates student growth through conflict resolution, teamwork, and familial support. We stress excellence, discipline, punctuality, and mutual responsibility. AGC provides the complete experience, combining our existing performing arts program with the newly expanded technical arm. Amazing Studios develops, cultivates and markets our own stories reflecting positive images of youth that is often missing in today’s media. Ultimately, our aim is to ensure at‐risk youth and emerging artists graduate then obtain their high school diploma on time, well‐prepared for college and/or a career. Amazing Studios provides the technical skills experience for the artists, writing, directing and producing original content and developing entrepreneurial and creative skills essential in a wide array of industries. Amazing Grace Conservatory addresses two significant needs in the underserved communities of South Los Angeles. • The need for quality arts programming in schools; and • The need for effective interventions that promote student success in school and in life. AGC addresses this issue by providing youth with engaging year-round performing arts (acting, voice, dance, spoken word) and technical training via Amazing Studios work practicums. These opportunities develop leadership and problem-solving skills through innovative, collaborative teamwork. Our intentional programming inspires students to learn while doing. As creative beings, students use their imagination to think outside the box, challenge the status quo and co-create their future. AGC’s authentic relationship with and grounding in the community gives the organization a platform from which to effectuate meaningful collective impact. Accordingly, this project builds upon AGC’s community relationship and its unwavering commitment to reverse South Los Angeles’ underserved conditions. AGC’s influence and impact helps re-engage youth in school, increase academic performance and social behavior, increase community engagement and life outcomes, developing well rounded, socially viable, confident, talented, intelligent and disciplined youth. Through grant funding in 2016, AGC served more than 450 at-risk youth with a purpose of effecting three critical outcomes: • Increased exposure and engagement in the performing arts; • Improved academic performance; and • Improved social behavior At the conclusion of program year 2016, ninety-four percent (427 of 450) of program participants realized favorable outcomes from baseline to completion (12 months) in all three-outcome measures. We continue to measure these outcomes, noting significant improvement in elements of youth aspiring for college and desire for post-secondary education. Diversity commitment Los Angeles is a city synonymous with artistic innovation and excellence is the backdrop to cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture of creativity and engagement for the community that it serves. As an artistic community, AGC values diversity, equity, and inclusion, we embrace divergent backgrounds and variances in culture and circumstances including gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, language, disability or ability, religious or political beliefs, class or other ideologies. We strive to commit ourselves to under represented groups in our pursuit to train and develop emerging artists and at-risk youth in the performing arts with respect to their personal, artistic, and professional growth. It is through this lens that we create opportunities in which mutual respect and collaboration are integral and necessary. AGC’s diversity and inclusion commitment are built on a philosophy of family and caring; youth thrive not because of programs but because of caring people and relationships. We recognize that diversity and inclusion are intentional and requires that we build upon an atmosphere of acceptance and belonging irrespective of our differences. Our intentional focus on diversity and inclusion has included leveraging community partnerships that broaden our audience and our student base. These partnerships include USC graduate interns from an array of backgrounds and experiences who come to AGC to work with inner-city youth and learn as much as they give. Our project director and technical advisor for Amazing Studios were both students in the Executive Master of Leadership program of USC’s program. This alignment adds depth to the community engagement base for the Conservatory, students, and staff while simultaneously creating a pipeline to skilled graduate interns from the university, who seek to hone their craft and be of service to at-risk youth as well as provide exposure to the infinite possibilities within the University. We have witnessed the transformative impact on students and understanding how much more we have in common than we are different. These Interns serve as mentors and coaches for AGC youth while also encouraging the development of technical skills and exposure to a prestigious University within a mile or two from the Studio. Our AGC alumni are mentors, instructors and teaching assistants who remain involved as a part of the AGC village reinforcing positive, successful messages, where students see people who look like them, as positive images,role models in the industry giving back. Students enrolled in AGC are less than 10-25 miles away from one of the greatest economic engines in the country, the Entertainment Industry. We prepare at-risk youth and emerging artists with a pathway from the neighborhood to Hollywood.AGC touches many lives and reaches millions via social and broadcast mediums. Our co-founder Wendy Raquel Robinson promotes AGC via social media on her pages. Her latest project, the highly anticipated ABC network series, “Grand Hotel” provides an even greater audience and network of support to leverage opportunities in the industry for cross-pollination and exposure coupled with guest appearances on television talk shows, highly syndicated radio stations, local and national newspapers.The power of seeing successful people who look like and care about you, providing one-on-one mentorship cannot be overstated. That ingredient and quality programming has a profound impact on our organization and is embedded from co-founder, Wendy Raquel Robinson, to the very successful staff who are industry professionals to our students and alumni. AGC’s limbs extend far beyond the Los Angeles and surrounding areas, we are deeply rooted in the community and touch thousands of lives with the inspiring and socially relevant work that we produce and lives whose trajectories have changed because they were touched, moved and inspired to co-create their future.