Student-Driven Performing Arts

Unchained Talent’s History

About Us:
Unchained Talent is the student-driven after school performing arts program located at the Lake Clifton High School campus. (Although the students regularly make the correction that Unchained Talent is a family, not a “program.”) Unchained Talent is a place where the students’ voice matters. Here, the students work together to write and perform their own material for their classmates and a diverse audience from Baltimore's community. The stage at Unchained Talent gives these teens a place for their voice and opinion to be heard and their talent and positive attributes to be celebrated.

     The students’ goals at Unchained Talent include developing confidence, learning to do everything with a level of excellence, developing leadership skills, learning arts/business management and learning to focus and work in groups. Some of the things the students decided they need to provide one another to accomplish these goals are respect, trust, honesty, professionalism, support, patience and a commitment to work together to find solutions.
     They are also forming mentor relationships with the parents who participate, the community members who volunteer and the members of the theater community/professional artists who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the students’ skills. They have learned singing from a professional singer, participated in improvisation with and received performance feedback from professional actors, attended one-on-one sessions on public speaking from a local elected official and attended several professional theater performances.
     There are approximately 25-45 students who attend the club regularly who share performances of live theatre with over 1,000 classmates and 200 community members. They write and present 2 – 3 productions per year.

Our History:
The Theater at Lake Clifton-Eastern had stood empty for 10 years. When Christina Youngston visited the school during summer 2004 she was taken on a tour and was shown the huge empty theater. When she learned that nothing was happening there, her heart sank. A week later, she had a dream where she was in that theater and it just came to her, “You need to start a theatre program at this school.” She felt like she didn’t have a choice. If she didn't do this, who would?

After a series of strange coincidences and chance meetings the rest fell into place. The principal was enthusiastic. A call was put out to the theatre community and others willing to help, including Lake Clifton graduates and theater people from the theater community across the region.

The new after-school drama club later named “Unchained Talent” by the students (since they are all so "off the chain") opened its doors to the students of School #426 for the first time in years. (Doris M. Johnson/#426 is one of Baltimore City’s new school initiatives from the break up of Lake Clifton-Eastern High School.)

Although there were no monetary resources to support the program, it did not stop Unchained Talent from taking back the Theatre. Volunteers from all walks of life throughout Baltimore and the region have banded together to promote the theatrical arts at this school. From Producing and Directing the show to providing donations of goods, services and advice, volunteers have provided all aspects that make a performance possible. The volunteers and students of Unchained Talent acutely recognize the need for arts in the schools as a creative outlet and a place to develop life skills that may otherwise be neglected in traditional classes or in their inner-city neighborhoods.

With the help of these dedicated and passionate volunteers and the unending support of the school’s administration, in December 2004, School #426 had its first theatrical performance in years for an audience of approximately 100. Their debut show, an evening of showcase performances featuring well-known favorites, unique pieces and original works was entitled “Unified.” For many of the students, it was their first performance ever. The front page article about the performance and group in the Baltimore Sun garnered attention from television channel WJZ-13, City Councilperson Mary Pat Clarke, the Mayor’s Office and Congressman Elijah Cummings. The performance was a rocking success and warming hearts and creating a swell of pride for the audience and student performers alike. Since that time, we've presented 2-3 productions per year most of which are student written.

     In Fall of 2005, the volunteer producer/director of the program was awarded an Open Society Institute-Baltimore Community Fellowship to spend 18 months working on behalf of the students of Unchained Talent to continue with the program and specifically to stabilize the program and work to make it sustainable for future generations of students at Lake Clifton.
     The students have created a Student Management Team who actively shapes Unchained Talent’s goals and direction. The Student Management Team consists of students who applied for, were interviewed and ultimately were “hired” to help guide the program. It is through this experience that they learn how to apply for a job in addition to gaining job skills, exercising responsibility and team work.
     We are now expanding our programming to try to attract other members of the school community to the performing arts. We have actively recruited students from the other school located at the Lake Clifton campus, Heritage High School #425 seeking additional talent. Also, Unchained Talent's new Recording Studio is another venue where the students' voice can be heard and their ideas validated, giving Unchained Talent one more way to reach these young adults and help them prepare for life after high school.