Big Thought Artivism

Artivism is the intersection of art and activism. It empowers youth to curate and create art grounded in the act of “doing” to advance social justice issues. In collaboration with professional Dallas artists and activists, students are educated on the social issues of their choice, empowered to express their thoughts through original artwork, and inspired to create change through community service and grassroots organizing.

Spring 2023 Enrollment Packet

Monday, February 20th - Saturday, May 27th  |  Monday & Wednesday
Programming from 4:00pm - 6:30pm  |  Student Pick-Up ending at 7:00pm    
Open to all youth aged 14-18      
For Oak Cliff, 907 East Ledbetter Dr., Dallas, TX  75216

Art. Educate. Activate. Artivism is a program designed, led, and inspired by our young people. In the summer of 2016, during nationwide protests to police brutality, the youth at Big Thought wanted to be the change. They took the lead and created Artivism, giving our youth dynamic opportunities to engage with and advocate for their community. Together, let’s continue to explore the external and internal connections we have to our community— embracing bold conversations and creatively creating change. 


Youth grapple with issues of social injustice every day. Derived from the same students who walked out of their school doors protesting unhealthy and unsafe learning conditions, the young people of Oak Cliff have a history of addressing and rejecting inequity. We are so excited to host Artivism programming in partnership with For Oak Cliff, the Dallas mecca for youth advocacy work. Thanks to community support, this program is provided free of charge and will take place on Monday/Wednesday from 4:00pm-6:30pm from February 20th - May 17th at For Oak Cliff. Monthly off-campus field trips may be on or different from usual programming dates and times. Field trip information will be provided to Artivism youth and their families at least 2 weeks before the field trip is set to take place. The final week of the program will be May 22nd -27th, and it will serve as our preparation week for the end of year showcase. The tentative end of year showcase date is Saturday, May 27th. 

Youth will collaborate and work individually within the Visual or Performing Arts Track. The Visual Track will expose Artivism youth to the art of photography, textiles, digital and traditional painting and design. The Performing Arts Track will consist of music production, traditional drumming, movement, and spoken word. 


Each week of the month will have an overarching primary focus and will go as follows:

Week 1
Youth-Led Discussion & Issue Awareness: Youth will gain a deeper understanding about the implications of different social issues and engage in brave, solution-oriented conversations with Artivism Teaching Artists and their peers.
Week 2 

Informed Creative Action: Youth will use what they've learned to inform and inspire change within their community through artistic expression. 

Week 3 

Service-Learning and Creative Enrichment: In partnership with local artists and community organizations, Artivism youth will engage in off-campus, culturally relevant service activities and art projects that address community needs. 

Week 4 

Project Based Learning: Under the mentorship of the Artivism team, youth will work as individuals to design a final project response to a societal issue of interest or importance in their lives. Final projects will be judged at the end of year showcase in May by activist and artists in the community. 


The program consists of monthly themes that will guide youth engagement. Those monthly themes are as follows: 

February 

Converse: Art, Activism & Allyship 

March 

Connect: Creative Community Organizing 

April 

Respond: Civic Engagement & Political Reform 

May 

Feel: Community Healing & Resilience 

In this enrollment packet you will find the program registration form as well as the Media Consent and Photo Release form. You must complete all forms and e-sign this document for the application to be considered complete and your child be allowed to attend and participate in Artivism.  Hurry and sign up soon...

program enrollment is capped at only 25 young people for the 2023 Artivism Cohort!

If you have any questions regarding Artivism, please contact Andjoua McLemore, Program Manager at Big Thought, via email at andjoua.mclemore@bigthought.org.

We are excited to have your student join us this year.

Please complete all pages.  When you have finished you will submit your e-signature and then receive an email asking you to verify your email address.  Please click the link in the email to confirm it and then you have completed the application process.
Youth Information





(MM/DD/YYYY)












School Information

If youth is not in school, please enter 00000

*  STUDENT ID IS REQUIRED to participate in programming.  If you do not know your student ID number at the time of application, it must be submitted to Big Thought before programming begins.


If youth is not in school, please enter N/A

If youth is not in school, please enter N/A
Attendance Commitment Pledge
Attendance in the program is incredibly important. For your student to fully benefit from the exciting programming being offered, it is important for them to attend consistently.
Please list two contacts for your child.
CUSTODIAL PARENT OR GUARDIAN (Required)











SECOND PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR EMERGENCY CONTACT 










AUTHORIZED ADULTS, Continued
Please list up to three (3) additional contacts who may pick up your student (at least one (1) is required).  Older siblings may pick up provided they are listed below. 
Contact 1 (Required)




Contact 2




Contact 3




Emergency Information
The following information is required in case of emergency. The Health and Medical form will be transported with your student to the nearest clinic/hospital to assist the paramedics and hospital staff. This form is also required to be with students during all field trips, if scheduled as part of this Program.








In case of a medical emergency, whom may we contact?















Health Information
* All medical documentation and information noted on and/or connected to this questionnaire will be handled and maintained as confidential. This information could be shared on an as needed basis.  Again, confidentiality will be maintained. 

(If Yes, details will be provided on Page 6.)


Student's Present / Past Medical History




I, the undersigned, hereby authorize Big Thought staff to contact the person(s) and healthcare provider(s) named on this form and to authorize the named physicians, clinics, hospitals, and others to provide emergency transport and healthcare to said student. In the event that the physicians, parents/guardians, or any persons named on this form cannot be contacted, Big Thought staff and school personnel are hereby authorized to take whatever action is deemed necessary to provide emergency care to said student. (paraphrase of Section 35.01, Texas Family Code). I HEREBY AGREE TO WAIVE, RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS BIG THOUGHT AND URBAN ARTS CENTER, its respective officers, affiliates, owners, directors, contractors, agents, and employees from any claims, liabilities, and causes of action asserted against BIG THOUGHT AND/OR URBAN ARTS CENTER by reason of the acts, omissions, or neglect of BIG THOUGHT AND/OR URBAN ARTS CENTER, its employees, or agents. I certify I am a parent with the legal control of the student, the student’s legal guardian, or have other court ordered control of the student. I understand that I must notify the Program in writing to change any information on this form or to revoke any consent given herein. I understand it is a penal code offense to falsify information for enrollment. I testify all information on this document to be true and correct.
Food Allergies
Please indicate the foods that cause an allergic reaction in your child. 
Mild = reaction is barely noticeable or causes minor irritation;
Moderate = reaction may require medication or other non-emergency intervention;
Severe = reaction is potentially life threatening if not treated immediately (e.g., ambulance or immediate ER visit) 
Mild Moderate Severe




(Please describe)

(Please describe)

Media Consent and Publicity Release
Right to Use.  I, the undersigned, give to Big Thought and its agents and employees (“Big Thought”) my full permission and irrevocable right to use my child’s photograph, video image, likeness, voice recording, art work, story, or performance, in any form of media now known or later developed (including print, digital, electronic, visual, broadcast, Internet, social media, or otherwise) (“Content”).  This permission applies to all purposes for which the Content can be used in connection with programing presented or managed by Big Thought in which my child is participating, has participated or will participate (“Programs”).

Ownership.  Big Thought will own all of the Content, and any physical material in which the Content is contained, and may use, publish, reproduce, edit, adapt, modify, distribute and display the Content.  On behalf of myself and my child, I irrevocably transfer and assign all rights to the Content, and waive any right to compensation.

Waiver and Release.  I hereby release Big Thought and its legal representatives from all claims and liability relating to the Content and the ownership and use of the Content. I agree that no claim of any kind will be made by me for myself or on behalf of my child regarding the Content, its ownership or use.  

[Use of Name.  I understand that Big Thought will not use my child’s name in connection with the Content.] 
FOR MINOR CHILD OR WARD: I, the signer of this document, represent that I am the parent and/or guardian of the minor student named above. I represent that I have the legal authority to, and hereby do, execute the preceding consent and release on behalf of such minor.
permission for Big Thought to use my student's photo, likeness, and other materials as described above.
Artivism Parent/Guardian Letter of Understanding 

1.   My child will have ONE written warning about behavior and then the next time he/she will be dismissed from the program.

2.   Once a student is dismissed, reinstatement will be on a case-by-case basis.

3.   Fighting is not allowed in our program at all. Children may be dismissed because of this depending on the circumstances.

4.   If a child leaves the program without permission from the staff or another adult, he or she will be dismissed immediately. He or she must always ask permission to leave a room or a playground, etc., unless an emergency is taking place. This is for his/her safety.

5.   We encourage all children to stay to the end of the program to receive full benefits of the program activities.

6.   I understand that Big Thought conducts an annual evaluation of the Program, and, as part of that evaluation, Big Thought may administer surveys to my student, administer academic and/or social and emotional learning assessments to my student, and may access student records in compliance with FERPA regulations. I understand that Big Thought will:

·     Keep all individual information confidential to the extent allowed by law.

·     Never report information on a student by name or identifying information and will only share information in the aggregate (meaning overall results), to ensure that no personally identifying information is released about a student in the Program.

•     I also understand that my consent is voluntary. My decision whether or not to allow my student to participate in the Program assessment will not prejudice my present or future relations with Big Thought or my student's School teacher or other School official(s). If I permit my student to participate in the Program assessment, I am free to discontinue participation at any time without prejudice. I understand that if I withdraw my student from the Program, my student’s information will be removed from the project results.  I understand that I can request copies of the evaluation tools by contacting Big Thought at Robert.Hu@bigthought.org

7. As part of my student’s participation in ARTIVISM, my student will participate in Dallas City of Learning (DCoL), an education initiative and online platform designed to help students discover new interests, develop skills and earn recognition for learning achievements. DCoL is a partnership with the Dallas Mayor’s Office and Dallas ISD, and is managed by Big Thought. Some data you have provided, including student name, birth date, and parent/guardian email or phone will be shared with DCoL to enable your child’s participation. For more information please visit dallascityoflearning.org.

permission for my student to participate in Program Assessment as outlined in item #6.

permission for my student to participate in Dallas City of Learning as outlined in item #7.
Final Acknowledgement
The Artivism program is not licensed by the State of Texas.

Big Thought operates in accordance with the US Department of Agriculture and Texas Health and Human Services Commission policy, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability.

I, the undersigned, do hereby authorize Big Thought permission, for the purpose of program evaluation, to administer surveys to my child, administer academic and/or social and emotional learning assessments to my child and access student records in compliance with FERPA regulations.

I agree to waive, release, discharge, and hold harmless Big Thought and its directors, officers, Trustees, employees, agents, and assigns, from any and all liability, claims, demands, suits, judgments, losses, or expenses which might arise from or out of, or relate directly or indirectly to, my child's participation in the Artivism program. This includes, but is not limited to, any medical care, whether emergency or otherwise, required which arises out of an accident or injury incurred by my child or contraction of COVID-19 while participating in the Program.
E-Signature
This form uses e-Signature to accept your approval of, and agreement to, the forms described above and in detail on the preceding pages, in relation to the student named below. 

Please click "e-Signature" to go to the final page and sign the document.

PLEASE NOTE: After you sign the document, you will be sent a VERIFICATION email.  You MUST click the link in that email to complete the e-Signature process!