- This month on The Spark, our theme is "Lights, Camera, Hope".

We'll learn about a performing and fine arts center serving as a community resource for education and imaginative experiences.

A nonprofit equipping kids to better understand themselves and the world around them through the power of film and creative media.

And a nonprofit using a two-generation model, the science of hope and faith-based support to help families.

We'll also share a special moment from our SPARK Awards 2024.

- From Higginbotham's founding in 1948, our insurance agency has been built on the values of customer service, leading with integrity and supporting our community.

We believe in promoting positives, encouraging engagement, and leading by example to power the good.

Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services is honored to be the presenting sponsor of The Spark.

- (male announcer) Additional funding for The Spark is provided by United Way of the Mid-South, EcOp, the Memphis Zoo.

My Town Movers, My Town Roofing, First Tee Tennessee-Memphis, and by the Medical Education and Research Institute.

- Have you ever been excited by a new idea, inspired by watching someone lead by example?

When we talk about creating change, we start by sharing the stories of everyday heroes who are making a difference in their own way so we can learn and do the same.

I'm Jeremy Park and this is The Spark.

They're performing and fine arts center serving as a community resource for education and imaginative experiences.

We're here with the director of the Buckman Arts Center at St.

Mary's, Cindi Younker.

And let's start out, give us a little bit of history for the Buckman Arts Center.

- Well, we are a fully functioning, performing arts center that is going into our 28th season.

We are on the campus of St.

Mary's Episcopal School, but everything that we do serves the greater community.

We welcome about 10 main stage artists from all over the world to our stage each year.

In addition to that, we have a fully functioning art gallery, the Levy Gallery, where we feature five different visual artists and sometimes three dimensional artists as well.

We have the Magic Carpet Ride series, which is a world music series for children ages two and up.

And we have the Buckman Dance Conservatory that serves over 200 dance students each semester from 20 different schools in the community.

So we stay very busy and very hopefully open to all.

- One of the things that makes you special is you're known as Memphis's most intimate setting.

And so talk about the capacity.

Talk about how everything is kind of built out when you look at what goes into bringing these artists and different performances into Memphis.

- Absolutely, it really is the best feature that we have.

It's the intimate nature of this venue.

It's only 288 seats, so the furthest seat from the stage is only 40 feet.

So every single interaction you have with an artist that's on the stage is really going to be involving the audience.

It's a once in a lifetime experience every time you welcome somebody to the stage like that, and it's our best feature, If you had the choice to see a show in a large, you know, arena or a venue like that, you're really gonna choose the more intimate nature where you can kind of interact and be a part of the action.

And that's what Buckman enables.

It is a full stage, but it's just so close.

It's just you're always part of the next story that the artist tells or the next, you know, vignette that they have to share about their past experiences.

Or you can see everything up close and personal.

It's truly, it's kind of liberating.

It's what makes it possible for us to take chances with new artists or to bring in old favorites.

We really try to offer an array of everything and it's just such a once in a lifetime experience every time they hit the stage.

- So tease us with what's coming up.

- We are so excited.

Our next performance is gonna be with Soweto Gospel Choir.

We spend a lot of time working with artists who might be traveling to other venues that might be bigger than we are, which is how we sometimes get the amazing artists that we do that are really kind of bigger names and that you will see in the bigger venues.

And Soweto is definitely one of those.

They're going to be coming in, they're offering a free community class at six o'clock before their 7 PM performance.

They're huge, they're Grammy winning, multi-Grammy winning, Emmy-winning artists.

They performed with everybody that you can, you know, with Peter Gabriel and so many huge, huge, phenomenal headliners.

And they're gonna be in our intimate venue on the 18th of October.

And then after that we're gonna welcome Cantrip from Scotland.

And this is just such a wonderful opportunity.

Again, you see that contrast between the lesser-known artist and the more established artist.

Our audiences are willing to take risks and try new experiences and Cantrip is going to be one of those.

And then we're going to welcome The Klezmatics which is probably the most popular, most famous klezmer band in the world possibly, definitely in the country.

They're Grammy winners as well.

We have Flamenco Vivo: Carlota Santana which is a wonderful connection between live dancers and live musicians on stage.

And they're truly incredible.

Though we also have Omnium Circus, which is an able-bodied circus that's inclusive and has people of all different body types that are performing.

You might have jugglers that are differently abled.

They have sign interpretation, they have sensory friendly performance, but it's still all jaw dropping and breathtaking.

And of course we can't forget the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater sponsored by Hollywood Feed.

We have two shows of that promoting pet rescue, but always putting on captivating performances with rescued dogs and cats and ponies and ducks.

- And I think that carries over and touches onto the education side of what you do.

And you mentioned before too is some of the performances where there's an educational piece before, but education plays a vital role in what you do.

So dive in a little deeper on the education.

- It's huge, we have a wonderful partnership with the Shelby County schools.

Whenever we can, we try to share our artists with the greater community, just as we're doing with Soweto.

Cantrip is actually, we're sharing them with St.

Mary's.

They'll be coming in early and performing in chapel for all the girls, sixth grade and up.

Omnium Circus is performing a school show.

That means these students are bussed in, we have over 350 students that'll come and enjoy these shows for free.

It's a more abbreviated performance, but they get to be up close and interact with the artist.

And Flamenco Vivo: Carlota Santana is also offering a school show.

So most of our artists that we have coming in are very, very good about dealing with and working with the community and really opening themselves up and sharing what they do so that the next generation can understand and take part.

- So how can the community support Buckman Art Center at St.

Mary's?

- Go visit us buckmanartcenter.com.

Call us at 901-537-1483 and find out what you can do.

We have so many... At 3:30 our doors open up and we welcome so many people in.

We have piano classes, we have string classes, we have ballet, we have so much to do here and come see a show, come experience it with your family, find out what we're all about.

Sometimes I think we're the best kept secret in Memphis because it's less than 300 seats, so you know, you just kinda have to spread the word so far, but there's so much to do here.

- Well Cindy, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thank you so much.

[upbeat music] - They're a nonprofit equipping kids to better understand themselves and the world around them through film and creative media.

We're here with the founder of Like You Film Club, Noah Glenn.

And let's start out, give us a little bit of your background, especially tied to the film industry and what led you to launch Like You Film Club.

- Well, hi Jeremy, I'm happy to be here and to talk about our organization.

You know, I've been an independent filmmaker here in Memphis for more than a decade.

I got my start doing a lot of video work, really telling the stories about Memphis through work I was doing, helping to launch Choose901 and highlight all the great things around Memphis.

But I was also doing my own filmmaking independently on the side.

And once I became a dad, I found a lot of my filmmaking became focused on kids and telling their stories.

And that, you know, eventually led us around to where we are in launching Like You Film Club as a year-round celebration of movies for kids and their families with a focus on the emotional health and the mental wellness of kids and the power of film to give kids tools to understand themselves and their worlds.

- Talk about how you source the different films, how the program is structured throughout the year.

- So there's two things to talk about.

Throughout the year, Like You Film Club is a year-round organization, screenings roughly once a month.

And there's a pretty broad variety of the types of films.

They're all family friendly films, but some might be classic things that you and I may have grown up with.

We'll show modern films, independent film, international films, documentaries, animation, all sorts of styles and areas of film, but with the focus on family-friendly programming.

Then there's the festival itself, which is our big flagship annual event.

We're launching the inaugural festival this November 22nd and 23rd at the Pink Palace.

And that's a whole different ballpark.

This is two days packed with films, two screens, two days.

And we've spent the last few months scouring the globe, finding the best in children's film of the moment.

Things that have been produced in the last couple of years.

We'll be showing feature films, but also blocks of short films from, you know, up and coming independent filmmakers.

But I also want to point out that it's beyond just screen time.

It's, you know, not just sitting in a theater all day long in and out with your family, but we're looking for opportunities for, we're bringing in local filmmakers to lead workshops that introduce kids to elements of filmmaking and we'll have all sorts of crafts and activities, fun opportunities to kind of get hands on and really spark that love of film beyond just the act of watching.

- Touch on that aspect of really building community through Like You Film Club and this festival.

- Yeah, as I, you know, alluded to, our mission is about supporting kids' emotional growth and mental health through the power of film.

And you know, I think we all are watching movies, watching television and interacting with stories in our lives, but often that's happening at home on a couch, maybe together with your family, maybe on your own.

And sometimes it's a passive viewing experience.

You're just, you're zoning out, being entertained for a little bit, going on with your day.

But we think when you bring people together, bring them into a theater together, now we're as a community experiencing the same story.

That can have an impact that goes beyond just the hearing of a story into talking with others about the impact it might have had on them understanding a different perspective.

But we really think there's something powerful, especially as a young child, to see a story where you can see yourself reflected on the screen or to see a story that opens up a new world to you.

Mental health is a concern for a lot of parents.

Anxiety is on the rise with kids.

What studies have shown is that there's two top strategies that kids use for dealing with these stresses and number one is talking to or snuggling with a parent or loved one.

Number two is watching a favorite TV show or a movie.

So we feel what we're really doing is combining those two strategies of coming together to watch something that can speak to us, can help us learn something, can help us manage the challenges of life, but then also creating a space to have that conversation with loved ones, but also expanding your circle into the community to know that you're not alone.

- So where do we go to learn more and to get involved with Like You Film Club?

- To learn more and get involved, you can check out our website at likeyoufilmclub.org.

From there you can definitely sign up for our mailing list from that website and that's a great place to always be up to date on what are we showing next and what are the new events coming up.

The other best place is on Instagram @likeyoufilmclub.

And we're always, as I said, we've just announced our schedule for the festival.

We will also have announced and we'll continue to be announcing those year round, you know, month by month the opportunities to come out and watch movies.

This is a children's film festival, it is for families and kids, but we want to create something that's for everybody.

That solid films with a good story that anyone of any age can come out and enjoy.

So whether you've got kids at home or whether you just enjoy sitting in a theater and watching a wonderful movie, we're creating opportunities for you.

As a filmmaker here in Memphis, Indie Memphis for years has been such a big part of my life and of the film community and with them not offering a festival this fall, we really want to fill that gap for film lovers of all types to have something to rally around and come and watch movies together.

- Well Noah, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thanks, Jeremy.

[upbeat music] - The SPARK Awards annually recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the community.

The 2024 Individual Youth award went to Eliza Flores.

[calming music] - My name is Eliza Flores, I am a 17-year-old senior at Hutchinson School in Memphis.

I moved to Hutchinson my second semester of sophomore year.

Being around all girls since Hutchinson is an all-girls school, has definitely taught me more confidence with myself.

I feel like I've gotten a better education from it because I'm not worried about having people like boys judge me for asking a different question than what they would ask.

I had a severe speech impairment when I was in preschool and all the way up until eighth grade and I still struggle with a little bit of speech now.

As I've gotten older and as I have gotten more confident, I have learned that I need to help people who have felt on the outskirts and people who do have a speech impairment or people who do have special needs because I never want anybody else to feel the way that I did, feel out like an outcast.

Engage is my platform that I use for pageants.

The main concept behind Engage is just to get out and to volunteer into the world and into your community.

Whether it's helping people pick up trash or whether it's involving people with special needs or with disabilities.

I just really wanted a way to use my platform to help people volunteer.

I am 75% Hispanic, my dad is from Mexico and my mom's dad is from Spain.

So I started Mexican Mondays to help raise money for St.

Jude Leadership Society.

And the main concept behind it is just you go eat Mexican food at Margaritas, which are my dad's restaurants.

And then 10% of the profit that we made on the first Monday of every month would be given to St.

Jude and we ended up raising around $6,000.

I would definitely tell other people to just be brave and to talk to people even if you are scared.

Because as I have gotten older, I obviously have gotten more vocal with my friends and I've learned that it's helped me so much.

So I would definitely just say, I know it's hard, but you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and you have to talk to people.

[calming music ends] - They're a nonprofit using a two generation model, the science of hope and faith-based support to help families.

We're here with the president and CEO of Agape Child and Family Services, David Jordan.

And let's start out, give us the mission and some background on Agape Child and Family Services.

- Hey Jeremy, thanks again.

Agape Child and Family Services, otherwise we'll just say Agape, is 55 years old this year.

Agape is Christian based and we serve holistically, as you mentioned.

We serve the whole family.

That's what two generation means.

So the parents, the child, the children, all of those, that family in the context of their community.

So our mission is we fight poverty through God for families to flourish.

- One of the other really interesting things is you remove the geographical barrier.

So you go to the families.

Talk about that approach.

- Yes, so in my world that's called a place-based strategy.

So we go to the place where people live and so we are alongside our neighbors in Frayser, in Whitehaven, in Hickory Hill and in Raleigh.

We've actually been asked to come to Orange Mound, South Memphis and North Memphis.

But right now in those four neighborhoods and we come alongside.

Families are not required to work with us.

We ask them, "What is it you need?

What is it you want?"

Families say things like, "I wanna be safe.

"I want my kids to do well in school.

I need a job or I need more of a job."

They say, "Can you help me with matters within our family construct?"

It may be relationships, other dynamics in the family.

"And can you give me and give us hope, a sense to be able to believe we hope."

And so we're able to connect in that kind of way to your point, because we're in the neighborhood, in the community, building trust, building relationships, have staff embedded in schools, staff embedded in churches, staff embedded where families live in apartments and the alike.

So our 120 staff, all those service providing staff are serving in the neighborhoods, in the communities.

- Give us an idea of what success is starting to look like on your end.

So talk about some of the statistics, some of the things that are putting a smile on your face.

- We have seen a third of the families that we work with for a year or more be able to cross the line of poverty economically.

We've seen in the 17 schools that we come alongside and have staff embedded, 98% of the youth who are seniors who were referred to us to be served because they weren't in school enough.

Attendance was an issue or their behavior, social, emotional, dynamic matters.

And so those kids that referred to us, 98% graduated and now on their next step toward a two-year, four-year or doing what's called CCTE, kind of career and technical.

And so learning to be a plumber, electrician in those kind of areas.

We have seen folks go deeper in hope and being able to have a sense of hope and hopefulness that allows them to do well in school, do well in jobs, be able to do better in terms of mental health, do better around housing.

We work with families who are homeless because they flee out of domestic violence, primarily women and children.

Over 90% of those families move into permanent housing.

Their kids move on to the next grade in school, they're able to get a job, they're able to be safe.

And so wrapping around those families.

And so those are just some of the points that I might raise.

- So you've alluded to it and I've alluded to it, the science of hope.

And so hope plays a very important role in all of this, both with your efforts and your leading efforts for the city.

So talk about the science of hope.

- Yeah, most research, and I think most of us would even say, yeah, if you're more hopeful, you're gonna do better.

If you're less hopeful, you're going to do likely worse.

Well, there's a whole science behind that.

Matter of fact, there are 2,500-plus research bodies that have said the more hopeful you are, the better you're more likely to do educationally, do economically in terms of jobs, public safety, do in terms of mental health, just all the life matters.

And so hope leads to wellbeing and ultimately flourishing.

And so Agape adopted this model.

So everything we do, we're working alongside families and saying, "Do you have a goal?

Do you have a pathway to get to that goal?

And if there are barriers, do you have ways of addressing those barriers?

And then do you have the willpower to stay at it long enough to meet that goal?"

And so while relatively simple, that formula if you will, that model has shown itself over and over to be very successful and move people in very positive kind of ways.

And now we have what's called the Memphis Hope Summit, and that's November 13th, Thursday November 13th, no cost.

We anticipate up to 400 people being there.

Those who are wanting to just come learn, okay, what exactly is this and what's this about, to, we've had a number of folks who've been trained deeply around how do you implement this?

And so it's not just a tagline, it surely not wishful thinking.

It really is leading to wellbeing and flourishing.

And so as we now are saying, hope wins.

And so that's what we believe, hope wins.

- So how can the community get behind Agape and the Hope Summit?

- So if you're interested you can go to our website, Agape, A-G-A-P-E, agapemeanslove.org.

You can find where you can register for the Memphis Hope Summit November 13th.

There are financial needs.

There's no cost to come to this conference and the cost of this conference has been taken care of.

Again, by great supporters like cityCURRENT, to be able to do that.

But the year's work that's gonna happen the next 12 months still needs some funding.

And so folks say, "Hey, I wanna be a part of this and I'd like to be a part of the funding."

Or they may say, "Hey, I'm a leader and I'd like just to be a part of this.

I'd like to learn more.

How might I impact?"

And so whether you're a faith leader, whether you're a corporate leader, whether you're a philanthropic leader, whether you're a nonprofit leader, whether political leader, wherever you might be in life, where you have a sphere of influence, we invite to be a part of it.

Some would say everybody has a part.

When you're at your dinner table, you have a voice.

How are you using your voice?

Is it moving things to hope or hopelessness?

- We'll wrap up with website where we go to learn more about Agape and to sign up for the Hope Summit.

- Yes, yes.

Agape Child and Family Services, we are at Agape, A-G-A-P-E, agapemeanslove.org.

You can call us at 901-323-3600.

Our website is best to go to, agapemeanslove.org.

- Well David, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thank you my friend.

I appreciate you.

[upbeat music] - On this month's episode, we saw how the stage, the screen, family support, and the heart of a community can come together to shine a bright light centered on hope.

At Buckman Arts Center at St.

Mary's, creativity takes the spotlight, reminding us that art is more than performance.

It's a way of building confidence, connection, and joy.

Through Like You Film Club and their Like You children's film festivals, stories leap from the screen showing us and our children how film can open minds, spark empathy, and remind us that every voice deserves to be heard.

And with Agape Child and Family Services, the science of hope drives action as families are strengthened, communities uplifted and our city galvanizes around the promise of a better tomorrow.

Hope is how and what we choose to live, to share, and to build together.

Every act of kindness, every spark of creativity, and every moment of compassion makes a difference.

Hope starts with you.

So where can you help power the good and become a spark?

To learn more about each of the guests, to watch past episodes, and to share your stories of others leading by example, visit wkno.org and click on the link for "The Spark".

We look forward to seeing you next month and we hope that you'll continue joining with us to create a spark for the Mid-South.

- From Higginbotham's founding in 1948, our insurance agency has been built on the values of customer service, leading with integrity, and supporting our community.

We believe in promoting the positives, encouraging engagement, and leading by example to power the good.

Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services is honored to be the presenting sponsor of The Spark.

[upbeat music] [acoustic guitar chords]