Back
True Body: FotoFocus Youth Film Opening + Youth Cartography Celebration
For 21 years, True Body, The Well's signature youth development program, has created opportunities for young people to explore identity, wellbeing, creativity, and community. In 2026, 1001 Colors and The Well partnered on an ambitious dual-track Summer Apprentice Project that empowered youth to tell stories, shape public dialogue, and reimagine the future through film and cartography.
Through two distinct but interconnected projects, apprentices explored how we experience place, memory, belonging, and wellbeing, creating work that centers youth voice as both creative expression and civic leadership.
Youth Cartography: Mapping Safe Spaces for Youth, By Youth
What does safety look like through the eyes of young people?
The Youth Cartography Project invited apprentices to become researchers, artists, and community storytellers, documenting the spaces where youth feel welcomed, connected, and empowered. Led by Teaching Artist Elan Schwartz, the project focused on neighborhoods including Walnut Hills, Over-the-Rhine, and Downtown Cincinnati.
Rather than relying on traditional maps that measure streets and buildings, apprentices explored the emotional geography of their community, identifying the places that foster belonging and support youth wellbeing.
Through interviews, observation, creative research, and exploration, participants developed a framework for defining and documenting "Youth-Approved Spaces." The project serves as a pilot model for future youth-centered mapping initiatives and demonstrates how young people's lived experiences can inform more inclusive approaches to community planning.
Apprentices
- Troy Burnett
- Dimitri Burnworth
- Sophie Karalambo
- Madeline Pigg
- Cheyenne Victoriano
- Cody Weber
Lead Teaching Artist
Elan Schwartz
Time Is a Circle
Created for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, Time Is a Circle is a multidisciplinary film project exploring how young people experience time, memory, identity, and wellbeing.
Led by filmmaker and Teaching Artist Andrea Sisson, apprentices collaborated to create three original short films inspired by Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman and the FotoFocus Biennial theme, The Long View.
Through filmmaking, animation, collage, dance, poetry, and visual art, participants investigated time not simply as a linear progression, but as something cyclical, layered, and deeply personal.
Youth apprentices were involved in every stage of the creative process, from concept development and storytelling to production and exhibition. The work was created within The Well's new Walnut Hills youth studio and exhibition space, providing young artists with direct access to professional creative mentorship and resources.
Apprentices
- Max Bertram
- Harmony Jackson
- Ajhani Johnson
- Desmond Reeder
Lead Teaching Artist
Andrea Sisson
Special Thanks
FotoFocus
FotoFocus Youth Film Opening + Youth Cartography Celebration
The culmination of both projects will be celebrated during the opening of the FotoFocus Biennial through a special community event presented by The Well, 1001 Colors, and FotoFocus.
Thursday, October 1, 2026
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST
The Well
2454 Gilbert Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45206
Join us for an evening featuring the premiere of Time Is a Circle and a public presentation of the Youth Cartography project.
Together, these projects demonstrate the power of youth perspectives to shape how we understand our communities, our histories, and our future.
