Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer

Prof. Rex Nettleford ... A dancer, a singer, or an actor without a brain is merely a minstrel. - Contributed

After 10 years of existence, the Area Youth Foundation is finding the way of the Phoenix as it attempt to rise from the ashes of despair and wing its way toward a future.

As such, Thursday evening became a time for celebrating the old and launching forth the new.

The foundation staged a celebration of its 10 years of existence, while simultaneously launching its photo story series of four books at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

The books are titled No Vacancy, Di Crack and Di Whip, De Test of Love and Dun Wid Di War.

The group's executive and artistic director, Sheila Graham explained the foundation's hill and gully life that has been too often punctuated by violence.

The foundation works toward creating social change targeting the violence-ridden, inner-city communities.

Foundation's performing arm

The Area Youth Krew, who also performed on Thursday night, is the performing arm of the foundation.

Graham pointed out that the foundation's infancy was ended with the death of one of their founding members, Tanya Thomas.

Thomas' death would not signal the last time that tragedy struck the group.

As Graham noted, the greatest moment of devastation came when the foundation's home was looted. That act proved a very crushing blow for the foundation.

According to Graham, it felt like a bomb had exploded, and the bomb left their dreams among the rubble.

Honorary chairman of the Foundation, Professor Rex Nettleford, spoke about the importance of the arts and the spirit of volunteerism. He pointed out that the foundation was just at the start of its journey.

Not a sprinting

"It's not a sprinting. It's long distance running and I'd like to think that although 10 years is just a short hop and you have to keep the young people on the path, there will be many opportunities for rebirth and renewal," he said.

Nettleford also addressed the importance of intelligence in the arts, and in teaching the young to create and control their own destinies.

"A dancer, a singer, or an actor without a brain is merely a minstrel," he said. He noted that that lesson needs to be communicated.

"I think we have to get our young people to understand that they are the creators of their own destiny," he continued.

Nettleford argued that some people have a "vested interest in the poor" because the poor keeps them busy. He noted however, that in order to get break the cycle of poverty real development needs to be the goal. As such, he proposed that the Area Youth Foundation be preparing the members of its Krew for life, not just performance.

Lord Morris of Handsworth O.J, Chancellor of the University of Technology ushered the photo stories (being dubbed comic books) into life along. With him were a few of the twenty persons who had created the books. As such, Lord Morris urged those on the stage to tell their own tale.

According to Dean Gibbs, who worked on the story Dun Wid Di War, what touched him about the project was that through working with the foundation the different members of the group were able to cross borders between communities that would have once been fatal endeavours.

Orlando McKenzie spoke of how he had been lured to a meeting by Winston Bell (the group's musical director) with the promise of girls but instead found messages about life. "It come to me like life reborn," he said.

The group will also be restaging their signature musical piece 'Link Up' and the songs performed by the Krew pointed out that they were filled with renewed hope for the future as they performed Dream On, Be Free and One World.

In her address, Graham had noted the group was filled with a sense of hope.

"So that is the feeling - we rise again," she said. "Our biggest dream is to one of these days have our own home again."