Meet our first round of winners for The Ism Youth Files

February 4, 2022

MediaRites presents our first round of submissions, we’ve selected the first five winners chosen for The -Ism Youth Files, a new project of mental health stories by youth including an e-book and resource toolkit and four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films called “Choreo-Poems.” Our project is a response to the isolation of youth and its effect on mental health in BIPOC and disability communities (ages 12-21).

The selected pieces are:

“Pandemic 2021″ by Deandre Avant, age 20

I’m Deandre Avant (he/him). I was born and raised here in Boston, Massachusetts. I have three brothers, four sisters, two nieces and two nephews. I went to Boston Arts Academy for five years as a Visual Arts major. I also worked for the Boch Center as a Dancer for three summers. Now I work for Teen Empowerment as a Dancer for two years including summers. The plans I have for my future are to be a very successful architect and get married to my girlfriend. Be able to make all the money in the world so I can buy numerous things including a house. Also to have my own dance studio for youth to be able to have a space to build careers and better my city.

“Ripped From the Arms of Logic and Knocking on the Neighbor’s Door for the Spare Key” by Niko Boskovic, age 20

Niko, age 20, lives in Portland, Oregon. As a child, he underwent a lot of therapy to treat his autism, but never really needed most of it. Niko finds that he is best able to express his lived experience through poetry, and has been published in Montana Mouthful; Lunch Ticket’s Amuse-Bouche: Spotlight; In Parentheses Magazine; and The Pointed Circle.

“COVID: We Went Through That” by Journeya, age 17

I’m Journeya, and at this moment, I am 17 years old. I live in Mystic Connecticut with my soul companions Callie the talkative cat, Jasper the energetic beagle, and all of my wonderfully joyous plant friends. Fun fact: I live right by the famous Mystic Pizza and walk by it from time to time.

“Smile” by Ella Celko. age 12

Ella is in the sixth grade at Childpeace Montessori School. She lives in Portland with her parents, brother, and two cats. She enjoys drawing and playing with her cats. She also loves sushi and macarons.

“Get Up” by Roodley Merilo, age 17

Roodley is a Haitian-American senior at New London high school that hopes to become an accomplished writer in the near future. Previous works have included writing 12 a.m. Thoughts for Writer Block INC as well as being commisioned for a piece with F.R.E.S.H. In his free time Roodley likes to take pictures for his community and is an ECC all-star for his track and field team. They’d like to thank Joshua Brown and Juanita Wilbur for nurturing his writing career.

Deadline – Mar. 15th 2022. Read guidelines or submit your work here.

The Peabody award-winning multicultural and multi-discipline production organization MediaRites is launching ROUND TWO of our submissions for a project responding to the isolation of youth, life challenges and its effect on youth mental health and well-being in BIPOC and disability communities (suggested ages 12-21).

The ISM Youth Files is looking for personal essays, monologues, poetry and short graphic novelettes for 1) an e-book collection o, 2) four 30-minute podcasts of youth stories, interviews and performances and 3) 2-3 minute films of performed poetry with movement. The e-book, podcast and films will be distributed free.

We accept submissions from youth around the country with an emphasis on Oregon youth. Each writing submission selected receives an honorarium payment of $100-$300. Additional payment for podcast readings or film appearances!

The -Ism Youth Files Second Round of Submissions

January 16, 2022

THE ISM YOUTH FILES SECOND ROUND OF WRITING CONTEST SUBMISSIONS – DUE MARCH 15TH! All youth will be paid!

Send in your youth writing for a new project of youth stories about challenges, hopes and dreams to be included in an e-book, four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films! The Peabody award-winning multicultural and multi-discipline production organization MediaRites is launching ROUND TWO of our submissions for a project responding to the isolation of youth, life challenges and its effect on youth mental health and well-being in BIPOC and disability communities (suggested ages 10-21).

The ISM Youth Files is looking for personal essays, monologues, poetry and short graphic novelettes for 1) an e-book collection o, 2) four 30-minute podcasts of youth stories, interviews and performances and 3) 2-3 minute films of performed poetry with movement. The e-book, podcast and films will be distributed free.

Youth can submit a piece they’ve already written or use the following prompts to create a new piece:

What does it feel like when you feel connected to others?What makes you feel hope when you feel down?

How do you help a friend or loved one when they face challenges in their lives? What are your wishes for 2022 and why?

We accept submissions from youth around the country with an emphasis on Oregon youth. Each writing submission selected receives an honorarium payment of $100-$300. Additional payment for podcast readings or film appearances!

Deadline – Mar. 15th 2022. Read guidelines or submit your work here.

The ISM Youth Files project is led by Dmae Lo Roberts, a two-time Peabody award-winning documentary producer, filmmaker and writer and the executive producer of MediaRites. Samson Syharath, a Portland theater artist, playwright and educator is the associate producer.

Download Flyer

The Oceania Celebration was Saturday Nov. 20th & 27th (Noon-3pm PT), 2021. Watch it now on Facebook and YouTube live!

November 19, 2021

We are so honored to share the cultural stories, performances and conversations for the OCEANIA CELEBRATION digital events centering the Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian People.

NOVEMBER 20
OPENING WELCOME

The Oceania Celebration opened with a welcome by honoring Native American Heritage Month. Producers Dmae Lo Roberts and Samson Syharath have an enlightening talk with visual artist Greg Archuleta, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde who is Clackamas Chinook, Santiam Kalapuya and Shasta. Greg will lead both MediaRites and Theatre Diaspora in a discussion about how to create a land acknowledgement that includes significant cultural history.

Land Acknowledgement Conversation with Greg Archuleta

Hula Cultural Demonstration

Kumu Leialohaokeanuenue Ka’ula an educator, motivating facilitator, community leader, a kumu hula (hula master teacher). We will see two performances from her talented dancers as Leialoha talkstories about the meanings and importance of hula.

In 2009, Leialoha founded both the nonprofit organization ʻO.H.A.N.A. Foundation and Hālau Ka Lei Haliʻa O Ka Lokelani in Aloha, Oregon. She honors her grandmother as cultural and language educator in the Portland Public Schools, and as a kumu hula she answered the call to spread the history of Hawaiʻi through hula. See her studio at:
https://www.klhokl.org/

Hula Cultural Demonstration with Kumu Leialohaokeanuenue Ka’ula and Dancers

Honolulu Theatre for Youth Panel Discussion

Dmae Lo Roberts hosts a panel discussion with three of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander writers who created “Stories of Oceania” will take place via Facebook Live and YouTube. The panelists are prominent artists based in Hawaii:

Moses Goods, an Artistic Associate with Honolulu Theatre for Youth and one of Hawaiʻi’s most prominent theatre makers (also a regular on NCIS: Hawaii).
Sean-Joseph Choo, actor, composer, and writer at Honolulu Theatre for Youth (recently guest-starred as “Penna” on Magnum P.I.).
Pōʻai Lincoln, a company actor at Honolulu Theatre for Youth, storyteller and a professionally trained musician focusing on the perpetuation of Hawaiian music styles and history.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth Panel Conversation

“Stories of Oceania” will be available to screen starting November 20 through Dec. 4, 2021 for a two-week engagement presented by MediaRites and Theatre Diaspora engaged the film for two weeks only for families and youth.

Produced by the Honolulu Theatre For Youth and created by four Pacific Islander writers and performed by Pacific Islander actors, the film is donation-only. Free to Pacific Islander communities, a special passcode will be provided to free viewing when registering. Also we’ll send a study guide for your family or community!

More about the film: Join Kapili at his new school as he learns about respecting and honoring people of different cultures through the stories of his classmates. The show explores ideas of stereotype and acceptance, and it features stories from our neighbors in the Pacific that celebrate the cultural traditions that connect us. Filled with humor, music and movement, these songs, dances and folktales not only teach about our past but provide valuable wisdom for growing up today and our collective future.

Reserve Access Now

Watch the trailer for “Stories of Oceania” here!

On November 27, 2021, the second day was
at Noon-3pm Saturday on Facebook Live.

Dmae Lo Roberts of MediaRites and Samson Syharath of Theatre Diaspora hosted a recap of the previous Saturday and upcoming highlights on Facebook Live for a special welcome with video highlights of the Oceania Celebration and recap of cultural conversations they’ve had regarding land acknowledgements and with Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities for the Oceania Celebration.

Portland Pacific Islander and HawaiOceania Celebration Recap
with Samson Syharath and Dmae Lo Roberts

Tongan Cultural Demonstration and Conversation

Tongans who live in the Pacific Northwest now continue to preserve their cultures and communities as they maintain strong ties to Tonga. In this Facebook/YouTube event, we’ll share in Tongan dance and language and hear the stories of Kolini and Mele.

Kolini Fusitua, a cultural organizer for the Tongan Community and Oregon’s Pacific Islander communities through the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). In 2017, he organized the first Tonga Day Oregon celebration, making Portland the first major US city to formally recognize Tonga and the contributions of its people. Kolini is a member of the City of Portland’s New Portlanders Policy Commission, Multnomah County’s Pacific Islander Health Coalition, Metro’s Park and Nature Equity Advisory Committee, and has served on the boards of numerous non-profit and governmental organizations.

Mele Kavapalu is a 2017 Rose Festival Princess Ambassador and recently co-founded Tongan Women’s Association of Oregon (TWA). She now serves as a Pacific Islander Outreach Worker for IRCO. Mele has an extensive history of predominantly working with the local Tongan and other Pacific Islander communities. Mele is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Portland State University. She currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Tongan Cultural Dance and Conversation

We Got to know Portland’s Local Pacific Islander and
Native Hawaiian local theatre community

Portland Pacific Islander Theatre Artists Panel – Prominent theatre artists in Portland, John San Nicolas, Kristen Mun, Lava Alapai Cassandra Pangelinan, and Lawrence Siulagi tell us what it means for them to be a Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian theatre artists in the Portland Metro area. These prominent directors, fight choreographers and actors will share their experience entering the theatre industry, hardships, their favorite moments of their careers and what it’s like to work in Portland with little representation of Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians in theater.

All of our panels, conversations and cultural demonstrations will be streamed on MediaRites’ Facebook Live page or our YouTube Channel.

Portland Pacific Islander and Hawaiian Artist panel discussion

Make sure to like our videos and subscribe
on Youtube to stay up to date on our new films.

Donate to Mediarites programming

Support for the Oceania Celebration

MediaRites and Theatre Diaspora received direct support from the Regional Arts And Culture Council, the Oregon Community Foundation, the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, the Miller Foundation, and Oregon Arts Commission for the Oceania Celebration.

MediaRites and Theatre Diaspora Co-present the virtual Oceania Celebration of Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian Performing Arts Nov. 20th & 27th

November 2, 2021

MediaRites and Theatre Diaspora have partnered to present a virtual celebration of Pacific Islander performing arts in “Oceania Celebration” on two Saturdays, November 20 and November 27, 2021, from noon to 4pm online for families and youth. The celebration’s mission is to bring families together to engage in the stories of Pacific Islanders and to highlight local Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian artists and cultural communities in Oregon.

ANNOUNCING THE ISM YOUTH FILES

August 22, 2021

A new project of mental health stories by youth includes an e-book and resource toolkit and four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films called “Choreo-Poem.”

With support from the Ronni S. Lacroute fund, the Oregon Community Foundation, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Children’s Theatre, the Peabody award-winning multicultural production organization MediaRites is launching a project responding to the isolation of youth and its effect on mental health in BIPOC and disability communities (ages 14-21).

The ISM Youth Files includes) 1) an e-book collection of monologues, personal essays, poetry and short graphic novelettes, 2) four 30-minute podcasts of youth stories, interviews and performances and 3) 2-3 minute films of performed poetry with movement. The e-book, podcast and films will be distributed free. We will also be distributing the podcast on all platforms and nationally through PRX.org (Public Radio Exchange).

Through submissions from youth around the country, this project will have an emphasis on Oregon youth. Announcements are being sent to public schools, libraries and community organizations. Through a panel comprised of mental health consultants, partners and youth representatives, we’ll select up to 15 or more submissions. Each submission selected receive an honorarium payment.

Two decades earlier, MediaRites produced a book and CD series called “Sorting Through Shadows: Youth Speak Out on Mental Health.” MediaRites selected essays from more than 25 contributors from all over country and the world.

The ISM Youth Files project is led by Dmae Lo Roberts, a two-time Peabody award-winning documentary producer, filmmaker and writer and the executive producer of MediaRites. Samson Syharath, a Portland theater artist, playwright and educator will be associate producer.

Partners for this project include:

Dr. Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist is our mental health consultant who grew up in New Jersey but lives and practices in Portland, OR. The daughter of two social workers, she was raised with a social justice orientation and incorporates this perspective into her psychological practice. Her training and professional experience has focused on children and families experiencing a variety of issues including, but not limited to trauma (including intergenerational trauma, historical loss and racial trauma), early childhood attachment disruptions and maltreatment, neurodevelopmental disorders and mood disorders. As a bilingual, Latinx psychologist of Puerto Rican and Cuban descents, she is passionate about and committed to providing culturally responsive services to all clients, while emphasizing the addressing of service inequities and culturally-specific service provision in Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and African American communities. More at luminosapsych.com/about/

Oregon Children’s Theatre, a premiere youth theater dedicated to exception theater and storytelling experiences that can educate, empower, inspire and entertain in remarkable ways. OCT, under the leadership of Artistic Director Marcella Crowson, will provide resources to help with finding youth performers and in the creation of a resource toolkit that could be shared nationally to Theatre for Young Audiences that would perhaps seed a national anthology of stories, films and stage performances. This toolkit will also be available free.

With the guidance of community partners, creative writing mentors and mental health experts, we can raise awareness for a still taboo subject of mental health and suicide through our submissions process and artwork created.

“Wellness is not a state of being but a state of action. It is the freedom to move fluidly… through the experiences of being human.” (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2020).

Being Me in the Current America Selected to Screen as The BronzeLens Festival in Atlanta

July 16, 2021

2021 BronzeLens Film Festival – The Virtual Experience: Connecting the Culture, Creators and Content, will take place on BronzeLens.com over six days beginning Tuesday, August 17th, and concluding on Sunday, August 22nd.

The BronzeLens festival’s shorts category are designated as an Academy Award Qualifying Festival in the Shorts Category!

Anyone who attends the festival can vote for “Being Me In The Current America” to be considered in the Oscars’ short category.

That’s right! To register to see all these wonderful films (including ours!) from BIPOC filmmakers and writers: https://bronzelens.com/registration/

Both OFELIO, A Borderline Story and Being Me In The Current America were selected for the first-ever PNMC Festival in Portland!

Both OFELIO and BEING ME IN THE CURRENT AMERICA will be screened as part of the Pacific Northwest Multicultural Readers Series and Film Festival (PNMC).

The PNMC Festival is August 20-22 and is poduced by PassinArt: A Theatre Company, the longest-producing, award-winning African American theatre company in Oregon, whose mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire artists and audiences while addressing critical issues facing the community.

More information can be found at their website or their Facebook

**And see both OFELIO, A Borderline Story and Being Me In The Current America in a double feature with SOUL’D in-person Sunday June 27th at 730pm in Portland with Vanport Mosaic’s SOUL’D!**

An in-person double feature: SOUL’D: the economics of our Black body by Vanport Mosaic

And two short films from The – Ism Project- Ofelio, A Borderline Story & Being Me In The Current America, produced by MediaRites

Sunday, June 27 at 7:30p (Doors at 7pm)

The Main Sanctuary of Westminster Presbyterian – 1624 NE Hancock St

Free/donations welcome

Total run-time for the evening is 90mins

Ofelio, A Borderline Story

Written by Andrew Siañez-De La O. Directed by Francisco Garcia. Performed by Phillip Ray Guevara. And Baby Isa.

Ofelio tells the story of a former border patrol guard who is now a father of a young baby. As he cares for his child, he is haunted by the faces of children who were detained at the border.

Being Me In The Current America

Written by Josie Seid. Performed by Shareen Jacobs. Music by David Ornette Cherry

A Black middle-class woman recounts experiences of racial profiling in Lake Oswego, Oregon during a time of Black Lives Matter Protests in 2020.

The Vanport Mosaic with The Project presents SOUL’D: the economics of our Black body, the Black Joy Edition , a new performance piece adapted for film, engaging questions of how our Black bodies have participated in the American Economic Dream. Conceived by Damaris Webb and devised by a cohort of local Black performers, designers and filmmakers.

SOUL’D sources first hand narratives, legislation, iconic tropes, current events and personal stories, we position ourselves to gaze through the macro-cosims of slavery to present day post-Obama backlash. What is Black wealth? What is Black joy? How has Black American growth manifest – despite disenfranchisement in passing on wealth through land ownership, knowledge of lineage, and financial freedom?

More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/877759096171173/

You can still catch our films by visiting our Facebook Live page or our Youtube Channel. Each film is followed by a panel discussion with local community leaders.

Make sure to like our videos and subscribe on Youtube to stay up to date on our new films.

Thank you to our funders

MediaRites’ The –Ism Project received COVID-relief support from the Regional Arts And Culture Council, the Oregon Cultural Trust, The Collins Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Humanities and Oregon Arts Commission with additional funding by The Emily Georges Gottfried Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and the Isabella Chappell Award in support of Theatre from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild

OFELIO: A Borderline Story

May 31, 2021

“Ofelio” tells the story of a former border patrol guard who is now a father of a young baby. As he cares for his child, he is haunted by the faces of children who were detained at the border.

Join us for a virtual screening and panel talk with the playwright, actor, and Jhona Monroy from The Immigrant Solidarity Project at Adelante Mujeres.

FREE VIRTUAL EVENT

Saturday, June 26, 2021 2:00 PM -3:00 PM
Saturday, June 19, 2021 430 PM -5:30 PM at Echo Theatre
as part of the Vanport Mosaic Festival.
https://www.vanportmosaic.org/events/2021/5/20/the-ism-project-screening

“Ofelio” will also be screened virtually on Facebook on June 26th at 2pm

Written by Andrew Siañez-De La O.
Performed by Phillip Ray Guevara. And Baby Isa.
With Audrey Garcia, Marcelo Gil-Ordonez, Elias Gil-Ordonez, Elias Robert Gonzales, Mateo Gonzales, Lulu Kashiwabara, Mila Kashiwabara and Andres Ruvalcaba.
Filmed and recorded by Onsite Associate Producers: Tricia Castaneda-Guevara and Phillip Ray Guevara,
Director: Francisco Garcia
Music: Gerardo Calderon
Executive Producer/Technical Director: Dmae Roberts

Filming consultant and Film editor: Sumi Wu
Sound Designer: Clark Salisbury
Production Stage Manager: Amanda Vander Hyde
Associate Producer: Samson Syharath

Special thanks to Teresa Gonzales for her selfless contributions to production.

MediaRites’ The –Ism Project Films received support from the Regional Arts And Culture Council, the Oregon Cultural Trust, The Collins Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, and Oregon Arts Commission, the Emily Georges Gottfried Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and the Oregon Humanities.

MediaRites Presents… Ruega Por Mi

March 2, 2021

Ruega Por Mi, written by by Yasmin Ruvalcaba Saludado and performed by Yolanda Porter.
A mother is searching for her missing daughter and questions her decision to send her for safety in America.

MediaRites has been adapting and transforming the monologues from The -Ism Project into short films. Two were filmed with a crew of four, social distancing at Shaking the Tree Studios, which graciously donated their space to us. Another was self-filmed by the actress, her husband and daughter. Check out The Diversity Thing and Ruega Por Mi.

Ruega Por Mi

Written by Yasmin Ruvalcaba Saludado
Performed by Yolanda Porter and Victoria Porter
Music by Gerardo Calderon
Filmed and audio recorded by Josh Porter
Directed and Produced by Dmae Roberts
Associate Director: Samson Syharath
Film Editor: Sumi Wu
Sound,Design: Clark Salisbury
Set/Costumes: Yolanda Porter

Yasmin Ruvalcaba Saludado (writer) is a Portland based director, writer, and arts advocate. She centers her work around advancing equity, honoring mentorship and education, and promoting community outreach and engagement. Yasmin is currently working at Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE) as the Operations Manager. Yasmin has also engaged with her community through directing. She was honored to be the assistant director for La Ruta (Artists Repertory Theatre) and La Isla En Inviero/The Island in Winter (Bag&Baggage Productions). Yasmin is also an active writer in the community. Two of her monologues are currently featured in MediaRites’ The –Ism Project, one of which is being adapted into a short film..

Yolanda Porter (actor) ) has performed in several productions at Milagro Theatre and is a graduate of Portland Actors Conservatory. Her favorite credits include The Taming and the Shrew, Amor Añejo, Opción Múltiple, and The Fairy Godmother’s Apprentice. Her film work includes Lorelei (2020), LUZ (2020) and Random Acts (2013). She’s been a part of multiple film, TV, and theater productions, as well as dozens of commercials.

Gerardo Calderon (musician) is a composer, teaching artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Born in Mexico City. He grew up surrounded by music, dance and culture. Gerardo is the musical director of Grupo Condor and Nuestro Canto, and has pursued his interest in learning about traditional Mexican music, Latin American folk music and Pre-Colombian music. He has performed with folk music ensembles in Mexico, Canada, New England, and the Pacific Northwest, and He has also toured with choir and world music ensembles throughout the USA. Gerardo has composed music and designed sound for contemporary Ballet companies, documentaries, short films, commercials, theater companies, and cultural organizations. Gerardo has been sharing his talent as a teaching artist for over 25 years and has continuously served the northwest community. More at: https://gcgartsproduction.com/

On the panel with Yasmin Ruvalcaba and Yolanda Porter is:

Cristina Delgado of Adelante Mujeres’ is the Leadership and Immigrant Solidarity Project Manager.

Ruega Por Mi is a MediaRites production of The –Ism Project.
Special thanks to Yolanda Porter and her family for donating their location, props and costumes.

Check out more MediaRites films on our YouTube channel

MediaRites’ The –Ism Project received COVID-relief support from the Regional Arts And Culture Council, the Oregon Cultural Trust, The Collins Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Humanities and Oregon Arts Commission with additional funding by The Emily Georges Gottfried Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and the Isabella Chappell Award in support of Theatre from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild.

12 3

Author Archive: