Write Home

Transforming Spaces Through Creative Expression

Recognizing the arts as a basic need for the holistic well-being of homeless youth in Berkeley

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About Write Home

The Write Home Project initiates a long-term collaboration with Berkeley organizations serving homeless youth in order to also recognize the arts as a basic need for the holistic well-being of clients.

We envision the transformation of shelters and clinics into spaces that better facilitate the expression of voice and positive human connection and that foster dialogue, empathy and understanding between client, student and local populations. We view the creation of creative spaces as critical to altering the life trajectories of people, especially youth, experiencing homelessness.

Our goal is to create spaces that are consistent, accessible, and healing.

Write Home facilitates writing workshops and open mics. Write Home also runs a multimedia campaign that calls into question the dominant discourse surrounding homelessness in the US, with the goal of inspiring dialogue about the larger social, economic and historical issues contributing to its continuation.

We want our participants to think of themselves as writers and community members, and to come to recognize the power in their own hands. We want our viewers to challenge their perception of youth homelessness.

Write Home was co-founded in 2013 by Natasha Huey & Gabriel Cortez, recipients of the Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize.

Writing Workshops

Regular creative writing sessions fostering self-expression and community building

Open Mics

Performance opportunities that amplify voices and build confidence

Healing Spaces

Creating consistent, accessible environments for creative expression

Get Involved

Join us in transforming spaces and lives through the power of creative expression. Together, we can create healing spaces that foster dialogue, empathy, and understanding.

Volunteer

Help facilitate workshops and support our community events

Partner

Collaborate with us to expand our reach and impact

Videos

Videos showcase the powerful voices and stories emerging from our workshops and open mic events

Multimedia Campaign

Our videos are part of a multimedia campaign that calls into question the dominant discourse surrounding homelessness in the US. Through authentic storytelling and creative expression, we aim to inspire dialogue about the larger social, economic and historical issues contributing to homelessness.

These videos feature participants sharing their stories, poetry, and perspectives, challenging viewers to reconsider their perceptions of youth homelessness and recognize the power and creativity within our community.

About Gabriel Cortez

Gabriel Cortez

Gabriel Cortez is an afro-panamanian-american spoken word poet and workshop facilitator. Since 2008, he has worked alongside a number of organizations, including the Flourish Foundation, Get Lit, Youth Speaks and College Track, using spoken word poetry as a tool for empowering youth voice and literacies.

Gabriel's poetry has been featured on Upworthy and the Huffington Post and he has performed in such venues as the Oracle Arena, the Nourse Auditorium and Zellerbach Hall. He has shared the stage with Big Sean, J. Cole, Selena Gomez, Seth Rogan, Laila Ali, Orlando Bloom, Reggie Watts, Martin Luther King III, and Magic Johnson.

Selections of his work are currently published in the second edition of "Rapsodia Antillana, Selección de Poesía Afroantillana de Panamá" (2014).

At Cal, he Co-Directed the UC Berkeley's spoken word organization, CalSLAM, for three years. Gabriel represented UC Berkeley at the 2010, 2011 and 2012 College Union Poetry Slam Invitationals (CUPSI), placing third amongst top universities in the nation in 2012. Along with Natasha, he is the co-founder and co-facilitator of UC Berkeley's only student-led class on slam poetry.

About Natasha Huey

Natasha Huey

Natasha Huey is currently a teaching artist for Performing Arts Workshop and the American Graduate and Brave New Voices Associate for Youth Speaks. She works on the Raise Up Project, a national youth hip hop and spoken word contest to develop the conversation about the high school drop-out crisis.

Natasha was introduced to Youth Speaks as a youth poet on the 2010 Brave New Voices team representing the Bay Area and has since served the organization as a Youth Poet Mentor and member of Future Corps before joining the staff.

Natasha is a graduate from UC Berkeley where she earned her degree in Language, Power, and Identity with a minor in Creative Writing. At Cal, she had the honor of Co-Directing UC Berkeley's spoken word organization, CalSLAM, for three years. She was on the CalSLAM poetry team that competes at college nationals (CUPSI) for the past four years.

At CUPSI 2013, she was awarded "Best Poet." At CUPSI 2012, she was on the CalSLAM team that placed 3rd in the nation. On the Berkeley campus, she was also a Student Teacher Poet for Poetry for the People and the co-founder and co-facilitator of UC Berkeley's only student-led class on slam poetry.