“The power is in us, all of us. Big or small, smart or slow, rich or poor, sick or well. The power is in all of us. It’s in our hearts. It’s called love.”
       – Father Rick Frechette

We’re thrilled and proud to announce that Father Rick Frechette, founder of the St. Luke Foundation, will be joining us September 7^th , 2014 as the keynote speaker of the Bovet 1822 and Artists for Peace and Justice 2014 Festival Gala presented at beautiful Casa Loma, Toronto.

“We started this organization because we fell in love with the country- this local organization run by Father Rick Frechette, so it became a big part of all of our lives. I am proud of what we have accomplished. We run the only free secondary school in Haiti.”
     – APJ Board Member and actress Olivia Wilde

Father Rick is a doctor, priest and community organizer who has been living and working in Haiti for over 25 years. He is the founder of the St. Luke Foundation, an entirely Haitian run organization with over 2,000 full time employees. This dedicated team of Haitian professionals provide hundreds of thousands of people every year with free education, food, water, medical care, professional training, and dignified humanitarian outreach. Father Rick and his team have been successful where so many aid organizations haven’t because of St. Luke’s complete commitment to direct partnership with the Haitian people, saving lives and empowering local communities. Father Rick and his team at St. Luke do impossible work…and the impact of their programs keeps getting bigger.

“I’ve watched the number of people the organization serves grow at a breathtaking rate: 900,000 Haitians a year now directly benefit from St. Luke’s impressive infrastructure. It’s near impossible to do justice describing their impassioned efforts. And when I try, I’m not sure if anyone who hasn’t seen their work believes me. ”
       – APJ board member and actress Madeleine Stowe

This coming school year, we will serve 2,600 talented, vibrant students at the Academy for Peace and Justice, and it all began because of one man: Father Rick Frechette. Community organizer, Passionist priest, doctor, founder of the St Luke Foundation, founding inspiration for APJ, and a living legend in Haiti. Artists for Peace and Justice is humbled by Father Rick’s impossible work and his inextinguishable passion for a brighter future in Haiti.

“Father Rick Frechette, a hero among men.”
     –  founder of JP/HRO and actor Sean Penn.

Please join us in Toronto this September as we honor Father Rick Frechette as keynote speaker for our fifth annual film festival gala event!

Happy Summer!

School’s out, but we wanted to share an exciting Artists Institute update on the brand-new, beautifully completed recording studio and main live room at Audio Institute: We Are the World School of Music and Audio Engineering! With the successful completion of this music production facility, next year’s incoming students will be able to write, record, mix, edit, and master their own original songs, all in Jacmel, Haiti. The talent emerging at Artists Institute is inspiring.  This fully equipped, professional recording studio showcases uniquely Haitian design elements made by local craftspeople and artisans. Stay tuned for more updates and music from our students.

Big thanks to Marc Lee Steed for the beautiful photos!

Congrats to our new Artists Institute graduates, bon courage and break a leg! This weekend we held a beautiful ceremony in Jacmel where friends, family, and fellow students gathered to celebrate Haiti’s bright future. For the past three months, Artists Institute students have been focused on completing their year-end thesis films and mastered songs. Our students’ thesis projects represent the culmination of the creative scriptwriting, shooting, editing, mixing, recording, and composition skills they have acquired studying in Jacmel.  Emerging as both extremely talented and professionally trained filmmakers and audio engineers, our students launch into Haiti’s creative industry equipped with the tools to tell a new story. This year’s ceremony celebrated the 35 graduates from Ciné Institute and the culmination of the inaugural year at Audio Institute, whose first year graduates will receive their certificates in 2015. Keep reading for highlights from both divisions of Artists Institute.

CINÉ INSTITUTE

Wood-Jerry Gabriel is a second year student at Ciné Institute. Hailing from a family of prolific painters in Jacmel, Wood-Jerry is passionate about creating dynamic works of Haitian literary and visual art with a fresh perspective. In his free time, he creates poems and imaginative short stories. Wood-Jerry’s interest in creative writing led him to study journalism and Haitian storytelling. This weekend, Wood-Jerry graduated Ciné Institute with the Award of Excellence! His thesis film, The Widow, is the story of a Haitian woman whose loss weakens her sense of reality. Through Martha’s cloud of despair, she believes sees her late husband in the crowd at Carnival and chases the illusion. Wood-Jerry’s film explores madness, love, and the supernatural. The Widow is an excellent and riveting portrait of tragic romance, we can’t wait for it to screen at Haiti Optimiste next year!

AUDIO INSTITUTE

Roudie Rigaud Marcelin is a first year student at Audio Institute.  Roudie was born in Cap-Haïtien and previously studied video editing and sound with us at Ciné Institute! His talents are wide-ranging, and to capitalize on his creative instincts he decided to further his studies by applying to Audio Institute. “My experience living and breathing in movies for two years was extraordinary…On behalf of all the Artists Institute students, we really appreciate this great gesture and blessing that we were granted to continue our studies here in Jacmel that gives us strength and courage to never stop in our work.” Roudie’s introspective music blends ambient electronic styles with traditional Haitian musical elements such as Rara drums and vocal repetition. “I want this music to touch the heart of every person who will listen it.” His final song invites the audience to reflect on the trajectory of their lives like planets orbiting around the sun, moving together in harmony. Central to Artists Institute’s mission is that all film and music students share the benefits of their education through active participation in their local communities.

The original music and films our students have created showcase Artists Institute as a ready and vital voice in Haiti –and their art celebrates the complexity and vibrancy of Haitian culture. So much more to come, stay tuned!