By Zermi Jenkins | Contributor
What does creativity and emotional intelligence have to do with future success and employability?
According to Yale School of Medicine in its report “Emotions, Creativity and The Arts,” six out of 10 skills listed in The World Economic Forum’s report on the future jobs relate to creativity and emotions — including creativity, originality, innovation, emotional intelligence, leadership, and social influence.
Acting classes contribute to all of those skills: A 2020 study of acting teachers working with elementary school students through working adults reported seeing improvement in areas including confidence, communication, empathy, and creativity.
Cumberbatch with youth at Artz 4 Life Academy in North Greenwood, Clearwater
“The tools given to one who trains in the Theatre are the same tools that can be used in every other facet of one’s life outside of the Theatre. Theatre teaches discipline, dedication, cooperation, and builds confidence,” states a different recent university paper.
Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project’s (PDAP) new clinic, ACT LIKE YA KNOW, or A.L.Y.K. (pronounced “Alec”), is a free acting and community theater workshop offering youth and adults the opportunity to explore their emotions, physicality, and communication skills — while having fun.
A.L.Y.K. coordinator, PDAP’s co-founder, and Creative Pinellas’ 2022 Artist Laureate, Jake-ann Jones, said a conversation with North Greenwood residents — who asked PDAP to find a way to offer acting classes — led her to reach out to Artz 4 Life Academy founder, Jai Hinson, and DreamMakerz Production’s Cranstan Cumberbatch.
“I grew up in New York City theater and spent the greater part of my pre-childbirth years in the profession,” acknowledged Jones, who played the lead in Bridget Davis’s 1996 award-winning Black independent film, Criterion Classic NAKED ACTS. “Taking acting classes helped me recover from some childhood trauma and gave me some balance to my young, nerdy, eccentric personality,” she adds.
Hinson, founder and executive director of the legendary creative program at Artz 4 Life Academy, Dundu Dole African Urban Ballet, and the annual holiday classic FAMILY BLESSING, has been working with community youth and adults in Tampa Bay for over 30 years, and attests to the power of the arts, the focus of her work.
Cumberbatch giving an actor notes on set.
Hinson shared, “I’m so excited and looking forward to this for several reasons. It is going to help people find confidence, learn to be confident in their articulation and their thought process, and be expressive.”
As well as giving people an opportunity to explore their hopes and dreams, Hinson said a major draw is the opportunity it affords participants to “just have some fun” and experience joy during increasingly challenging times.
Cumberbatch and PDAP have been bringing programs to Artz 4 Life since 2024, so when Jones approached him about teaching the acting workshops at the location in North Greenwood, he didn’t hesitate.
Video: Artz 4 Life Summer Youth Program Interviews with DreamMakerz Productions
“Honestly, it felt needed. I’ve always believed talent exists everywhere, but access, guidance, and opportunity don’t always reach every community equally. North Greenwood already has culture, stories, personality, and creativity built into it. Sometimes people just need a safe space and the right encouragement to unlock it.”
Cumberbatch is always ready to give back to the kind of communities he grew up in. “I come from an environment where a real industry for the arts barely existed, especially in the way it does now. A lot of us had talent, but not always the structure, training, or opportunities around us. So being able to come back and help create that space for somebody else means a lot to me.”
While he’s evolved into an award-winning actor, writer, director, and producer, he says he still approaches the craft “like a student — because acting is something you continue evolving in for life.”
For those wanting to pursue a career in the performing arena, the multi-talented creator believes “Talent alone isn’t enough. Acting classes help you develop discipline, listening skills, emotional awareness, confidence, stage presence, and the ability to work with other people. A lot of people think acting is just memorizing lines, but it’s really about truth, connection, timing, vulnerability, and understanding human behavior. Training helps sharpen all of that.”
Classes are designed to benefit everyone from beginners to experienced performers, to people who are curious about acting, or anyone who just wants to speak in public more confidently. Cumberbatch said the class will “meet people where they are — while still challenging them creatively.”
Classes will cover improvisation, stage presence, vocal projection, movement, character development, monologues, scene study, listening exercises, ensemble work, emotional connection, script analysis, and live performance preparation. “We’ll also touch on some film techniques because today’s performers should understand both stage and camera work,” said the co-founder of DreamMakerz Productions and the AGENT X film series.
He noted that DreamMakerz is currently in production on the third chapter of the AGENT X series, AX3: Artificial Intelligence, and shared that the production company is also casting for several different film and stage projects. Additional details on current productions and casting opportunities can be found at: https://www.dreammakerzproductions.org/current-works-in-production.html
Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project, Inc. (PDAP) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit with the mission to strengthen the well-being of communities in Tampa Bay by expanding access to arts, technology, media, and civic exchange. PDAP develops opportunities for people of all ages to participate in creative and educational experiences in effort to inspire personal growth, community connection, and lifelong learning. Visit https://pinellasdap.org for more information.
