Reflections on a TeenTix Internship

I’ve spent the last two months interning for TeenTix. I’ve done many projects but the one that I had the most fun with and had the biggest takeaways from was interviewing teens who are a part of TeenTix in the Mentorship for Teen Artists of Color (M-TAC) program and the TeenTix Arts Podcast (TAP). Before being selected to work at TeenTix, I knew that this was the site I wanted to spend my time at and I was very grateful to get that opportunity. I was excited to see more of what TeenTix was about and how they help the youth in my community.

I’m glad to say I was pleasantly surprised. In doing these interviews I have found that TeenTix has accomplished so many great things and it makes me feel good to see that people still care about the youth and their interest and helping them succeed. I have also learned that the programs TeenTix offers have a really positive effect on the teens that participate. My interview project really helped me see that. I got to hear from teens who have put a lot of time and work into programs like M-TAC and TAP. Hearing their experiences and growth warmed my heart.

M-TAC is a great program for youth that are passionate about art and want to have a creative outlet and also grow their skills. I was fortunate enough to interview three teens from that program. All of these interviews were very fun and insightful and I am glad I got to hear their stories. There were some common themes with the teens who participated in the M-TAC program, that I’ll highlight here. You can also see video reels of their interviews here and here on the TeenTix Instagram.

1. Having a limitless space for creativity

All of the teens talked about how they liked having a place where they could learn to and be creative and grow their artistic skills.

“I hope that I would establish a warm community of peers who are interested in the same art as I am” - Rowan

“I got very creative and more artistic as I entered the program. I wanted to grow and get better.” - Olaitan

2. Artistic growth

They felt and saw change in their art doing this program. They were challenged with expanding their artist style and pushing their mind to be more creative.

“I was mainly focusing on enhancing my art ability but when I learned from my mentor they showed me all the different aspects of making a film and acting and I definitely learned a lot of different aspects to enhance my performance.” - Rowan

“It helped me grow the connection between me and my pieces and just really think about the way I can improve.” - Jwan

3. Personal growth

All of the teens that did this program had grown as a person and that growth benefited them in a lot of different ways.

“I just realized those failures I did helped me as I grew as an artist because you’re not gonna always get something right.” -Olaitan

“Going into the program I was very quiet and I was nervous of socializing with the rest of my peers and my mentor, but stepping into the program I felt really comfortable with them.” -Rowan

“Joining the program really showed me that when you stop comparing yourself to others constantly you get relief and start doing art for yourself.” - Jwan

Applications for the Summer 2024 M-TAC cohort are open now through Tuesday, May 21 at midnight. More information and applications here.

Lead photo credit: Kabira (left) and Jwan (right) in an interview discussing M-TAC.