When you spend time with young creatives, you begin to understand the world in a way that you cannot through data points. The way a poem can make you feel longing, or grief, or possibility. The way a film can make you feel inspired. The way a quilt can establish a hopeful vision for the future.

For years, I’ve experienced this again and again in my Art of Public Health course at UC Berkeley, with my students and with artists whom we have invited in to teach with us. Recently, I’ve been asking myself: what would it look like to bring that same creative energy into the work we do at Hopelab? That question is part of why we are introducing the Hopelab Artist in Residence program as part of our 25th anniversary.

Youth arts and culture programs have been deprioritized and defunded, even as evidence shows they support coping, connection, and resilience. We see a powerful opportunity to invest in creativity as a pathway to change systems.

We are looking to partner with young people in a new way. Hopelab’s Artist in Residence program isn’t about art as adornment. It is a deliberate part of our strategy. By creating connections with young people deeply rooted in creative communities, we hope to create new narratives about thriving. We expect to deepen our understanding of how well-being, creativity, and identity are woven together for Brown, Black, and Queer young people.

Rooted in Power California’s cultural framework and the belief that culture is a living, evolving galaxy of stories and lived experience, this residency invites young Black, Brown, and Queer artists to help us understand what well-being actually looks like — not just name it, but feel it, and build toward it.

We’re looking for young artists — poets, visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers — especially those exploring the intersections of art, liberatory mental health, and well-being. If you have lived experience of mental health challenges, come from communities historically underserved by dominant mental health systems, we want to hear from you.

Bring your full vision and bring your full selves.