Every weekend, a group of teenagers come together in the heart of Harlem for “Gospel for Teens”, an arts education program put on by the Mama Foundation for the Arts.
Drawn in by the legendary Vy Higginsen, youths aged 13-19 come from the greater New York and New Jersey areas.
Higginsen started the program in 2006 and it’s become an award-winning success. She views the program as educational and confidence building on and off the stage.
“We believe a community without the arts is half dead – the arts are a part of the well-being of any community. We want the youth to know who they are and where they come from musically.” – Higginsen
The Mama Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organisation housed in a historic brownstone that aims to restore Harlem as an entertainment capital through the preservation of gospel, jazz and R&B.
