The Canady Foundation for the Arts is introducing our inaugural CFA Youth Improv Slam! This Improv Slam will include the students of our awesome Youth Improv program, which is open to high school students of color throughout the DMV area. The program’s mission is to bridge the gap for students of color whose exposure to the arts is disproportionate to their counterparts. We focus on three key skills: leadership, social activism, and entrepreneurship while also providing students a safe space to explore their creativity and comedic intuition. In our pilot program last year, over half of our participants reported increased confidence with public speaking and 100& of students reported they would participate again!

We couldn’t do it without our outstanding team, all professional actors of color, who have dedicated themselves to empowering and enriching the DC youth community through their passion for the arts. CFA collaborates with several community partners including Kweli TV, Theater J, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington Improv Theatre, Harlem Comedy Festival, Standup Comedy to Go, and DC Parks and Recreation-making this a true community partnership to fulfill a need for high school students seeking a safe, challenging, and creative outlet.

The Slam will be a live and unscripted performance competition and the winners will be crowned the “Best Youth Improv Team in D.C”. This friendly competition is meant to facilitate peer cooperation and be a culminating demonstration of everything the students have learned throughout their time in the program. Local high schools in the 2023 program include Dunbar High School, Maya Angelou Public Charter School, Kipp DC College Preparatory, and Cardozo Education Campus.