The primary aim of Motherland, Inc's dramatherapy intervention is to create a culturally relevant and empowering prevention model for African-American and Latino youth and their families. The dramatherapy medium was promoted so to engage youth in using their words, their issues and their peer influence issues to create an effective method for engaging and educating high risk youth on substance abuse prevention and HIV prevention awareness. The uniqueness and strength of our approach has provided integrated substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention by using a variety of approaches including curriculum based instruction, printed materials, drama, music, dance performances, role-plays, vignettes, and skits.

The Voices of Our Youth Program is designed to educate through service, youths at risk of and dealing with Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS. To provide services influenced by a strong commitment to community building and human awareness that promotes cross-cultural prevention and treatment programs.

Our goal in this program is produce measurable changes in knowledge and awareness; beliefs and attitudes; and risk behaviors with respect to HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse among high-risk Africa-American and Latino adolescents within the Houston area.

Workshop participants are being recruited, who will produce dramatherapy through drama, music, and dance.; The drama, music, dance presentations focus on the following topics:

• HIV/AIDS
• Substance Abuse
• Decision Making
• Peer Pressure
• Anger Management

Participants have been recruited mainly from audience members at previous dramatherapy performances.

What's Expected of the participants 

They have to take notes on themselves and creatively express their ideas in the form of drama, music, dance, art, poetry, comedy or any other artistic form they choose.

Character Development for Drama

They explore and experiment with the development of a character for dramatic pieces. They examine personalities of various types of people and even get a chance to analyze some of their favorite TV characters.

Holler If You Hear Me! Voice and Diction for the Actor

They discover the secrets of voice projection and diction as part of their vocal experience. They learn to apply it for various dramatic forms with an emphasis on monologues.

Tell It Like It Is ! Storytelling For Dramatic Interpretation

They learn to develop and act out dramatic interpretations in the form of storytelling using the skills they develop and what they have learned in character development, voice and diction.

Hook It Up!- On Stage

They explore and experience the on-stage and back stage role of a theatre environment. From learning about the stage areas, blocking techniques, on stage direction to understanding and usage of back stage operations with technical directions, lighting and sound.

Do The "Write" Thang - Writing the Production!

They bring it all together and take a wack at writing a play production to be performed by their group.

The dramatic interpretation, poetry, singing, music and comedy; these will be written, directed, and performed by youth using their life experiences & stories to create original therapeutic dramatic production.