Eboni Edwards, a junior Performing Arts: Theatre and Musical Theatre double major, participated in Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP), a week-long program held at the Juilliard School in New York City.
Edwards, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, attended the program June 3-9.She attended workshops, heard lectures from Juilliard professors, and attended Carousel on Broadway.
ASTEP uses art to transform lives by connecting underserved youth with visual and performing artists.
Edwards said the program introduced her to a wide variety of artists and encouraged her to think about her own artistic goals and what community she might like to reach through her work.
She wants to use her theatre training as a stepping stone to future work in television and film.
“I hoped to meet people and grow as a person and as an artist,” Edwards said, “and I definitely accomplished that. I learned to be more comfortable with myself and how to let go and not worry about who might be watching.”
She hopes to return to New York and will be applying for internships. “I am so happy I went,” Edwards said. “I hope to go back next summer.”
