ALMA Creates x PrEP4Teens = 🔥

Shorty and Skai lead a quick Ballroom tutorial.

Equal parts fun and inspiring, the ALMA Creates x PrEP4Teens collaboration officially kicked off in Pilsen on Sunday, May 5 with a half-day creative retreat.

Six young Chicago-based Latine/x artists, selected out of a pool of more than 20 applicants, joined queer artist/activist/leader David Gauna and representatives from PrEP4Teens and ALMA (Association of Latinx Motivating Action) at the Pilsen Arts & Community House on 18th Street to start making some magic together.  

The focus of our time together was on the central role of art/creative expression in culture, advocacy, and our collective health and wellness. Participants learned about advocacy, PrEP, various queer Latine/x artists and Ballroom, and  took part in some fun relationship building exercises, even picking up some basic Vogue skills thanks to our Ballroom experts Skai and Shorty… duckwalk anyone?

ALMA, by the way, is one of the oldest Latine/x LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations in the country and has served the community in Chicago since 1989. PrEP4Teens is absolutely thrilled to partner with them on the second installment of their ALMA Creates program, which aligns beautifully with our vision.

The goal of ALMA Creates is to connect Latine/x LGBTQIA+ youth with mentorship and resources to express their creativity while exploring social topics, like sexual health and PrEP, that impact the LGBTQIA+ Latine/x community. Each of the six young artists in ALMA Creates x PrEP4Teens receive a micro grant and ongoing guidance/support from David, who as you may remember, led the community engagement process that produced the first PrEP4Teens mural on display at our home – TaskForce Prevention & Community Services.

Over the next several weeks, the creatives will have the opportunity to develop their artistic skills and talents, explore their identities and experiences as LGBTQIA+ Latine/x people, and create art that raises awareness of social issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ Latine/x community, including PrEP. Their art will be exhibited at the end of the program in a showcase event and panel discussion for an audience of community partners who serve the Latine/x LGBTIA+ community.

We expect their creations will inspire the development of new social marketing materials for the PrEP4Teens project – and we can hardly wait to see what these lovely people will bring into the world.

Watch. This. Space.

And for more on PrEP4Teens x ALMA Creates, read our blog here.