Stand Together. Stand Strong.

“Story Stitchers and home? One and the same! Story Stitchers nurtures our best selves just as home does. Most of the youth who start off are lost, troubled or hurting and Story Stitchers helps ease those problems and guides them through a process of self-confidence building. Without Story Stitchers… without home, where would we be?” — Chris, Story Stitcher

At Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective, young artists find a home. Our youth are eager for expression. Many have trauma from things they have experienced or witnessed. They have a deep need for connection with caring adults and peers who know what they’ve gone through. They need a safe space to learn and grow. Story Stitchers provides a safe space for youth to discover their voice. They express themselves – their experiences, their full range of emotion – to process and heal the trauma they witness every day.

Our nationally recognized work in dance, hip hop, spoken word, discussion, photography, and videography helps youth to develop resilience, a social safety net, friends and shelter with safe spaces to gather. We boast a music recording booth, instruments, and composing and editing technology.

Artistic recognition is acutely important to everyone involved, and part of what sets us apart from every other youth program. Top-tier artists serve as both teachers and mentors. Young people are pulled in and immediately set out to create professional, curated work that opens up their world beyond their own circles.

Youth find a safe, welcoming space to express all emotions through the medium of art. Emotion is not suppressed, it is encouraged. It doesn’t take newcomers long to get acclimated. Youth quickly understand: We love you and see your worth as soon as you walk in the door. We don’t force anything. It’s ok to make mistakes. Alongside the encompassing sense of love and belonging, we provide for more basic needs like shelter, food, and money.

And everyone is welcome. We only have one expectation: our young artists must be completely uninvolved with guns, drugs, gangs, and their affiliated cultures. Youth involved in Story Stitchers are less likely to have negative involvement with law enforcement. They build friendships, a sense of belonging, a safety net, and learn to think of themselves as leaders in the community. This sense of optimism is unusual amongst their peers and attracts attention from youth and adults alike.

We know our young people can do it. They can find friends. They can learn about themselves and express themselves. They can find others who want something better for themselves, their neighbors, their city. Story Stitchers erase real and perceived divisions through cultural exploration and arts practice—by stitching together our city.