Wide Angle Youth Media is proud to participate in the first day of the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Youth and the Future of Culture. Through film screenings, interactive panels, a hands-on social media workshop, and an animation activity, our team will celebrate the perspectives and talent of emerging creatives.

• 12–12:45 pm: Youth Voices on Screen: Film Screening & Panel
  Arts + Industries Building (South Hall)

  • Experience the creativity and storytelling of Wide Angle Youth Media’s emerging filmmakers in this special screening of films from the organization’s Film Club and personal projects. Film Club projects are a fun way to challenge themselves and create something in under two hours. After the screening, the filmmakers will join a panel and Q&A to share insights into their creative process and the stories behind their work. Panelists include Tahir Juba and Kamaria Avery.

• 1–1:45 pm: Amplifying Youth Voices through Social Media
  Arts + Industries Building (West Hall)

  • In this interactive workshop led by social media interns at Wide Angle Youth Media in Baltimore, visitors can learn how to intentionally use social media to uplift and amplify the voices of young people in their communities. Through guided brainstorming and hands-on activities, we will explore platform strategies, content planning, and messaging tailored to youth audiences. Each workshop attendee will use a printed workbook to develop ideas and leave with clear next steps for creating youth-centered content on their organization’s social media platforms.

• 3–3:45 pm: Maryland Folklife Apprenticeships: Film Screening & Panel
  Arts + Industries Building (South Hall)

  • Join us for a special screening of short films showcasing folklife apprenticeships across Maryland, created by Wide Angle Youth Media’s production team in collaboration with the Maryland State Arts Council. Following the screening, emerging producers will take the stage for a panel and Q&A, sharing their experiences documenting these rich cultural traditions. Panelists include Tahir Juba, Janai Cherry, and Kamaria Avery. Don’t miss this opportunity to see Maryland’s living traditions through the eyes of the next generation of storytellers!

• 12–4pm: Media Arts Workshops: Zines, Cyanotypes, Animation, Videos and Podcasts, Vinyl Painting
  Arts + Industries Building (North Hall)

  • Phenakistoscope Animation Workshop: Have you ever wanted to hold a gif? With a phenakistiscope, you can! A feat of both science and art, the phenakistiscope is an animation device that creates the illusion of continuous movement with just a few drawings and a mirror. Join Camille Ollivierre and Savanah Winn from Wide Angle and unleash your creativity to create your own animation invention!