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OUR STORY

Image description: Two students sit at a table focus on an activity. The furthest with dark long braids in a light pink shirt and the closest in an olive green shirt and long black and red straight hair.

In 2017, a group of parents and students at Orca K-8 School in Seattle began discussing how to address the ongoing lack of arts education and anti-racist teaching practices at their school. Among those initial participants was South End Stories Founder Donte Felder. Drawing on their collective experiences—including Mr. Felder’s decades-long tenure as an educator, artist, and visionary leader in South Seattle—the concept for South End Stories was conceived.

South End Stories was established with a mission to ignite joy and justice in classrooms and communities through arts-based learning, anti-racist education, and social activism. We believe that the arts are an essential tool for fostering creative, collaborative, communicative, and critical learning. Our vision is liberation through storytelling and the arts. To achieve our goals, we work holistically with youth, teachers, and families to transform the school climate into a welcoming and relevant environment for all, particularly for BBIA (Black, brown, Indigenous, or Asian) students in King County, Washington, who have been most impacted by systemic racism in the education system.

Students of color in rustic earth toned costumes perform onstage in front of a projection of the inside of an old building

Image description: Students of color in rustic earth toned costumes perform onstage in front of a projection of the inside of an old building

In 2019, Intiman’s STARFISH Project partnered with South End Stories to present THE DEFIANCE at Rainier Beach High School. The production was designed by STARFISH students, directed and facilitated by South End Stories, featuring youth-generated content and performances from Orca K-8, Rainier Beach High, Franklin High School, SAAS, Center School, and Cleveland High students, and dancers from the Renton-based Baile Diore Dance Studio. Pictured above: South End Stories students present THE DEFIANCE. Photo by Naomi Ishisaka.

PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS

  • Seattle Public Schools 

  • Creative Advantage

  • Seattle Public Library

  • WA-BLOC

  • Seattle Central College

  • Highline Public Schools

  • Shoreline Public Schools 

  • Intiman Theatre

  • Paramount Theatre

  • Seattle Art Museum

  • The Learning Place at Holgate Church

IMG_9475 - Megan Felise.HEIC

Image description: Two backfacing students at Meany Middle School stand confidently on a stage facing an empty cafeteria during a rehearsal. 

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