Texas Folklife and Akins High School Austin Corps invite the public to join us for the premiere of a new radio and podcast series, “Stories About Texas Artists and Akins High.” This series of audio documentaries about Texas artists and activism, civics, and Akins High traditions has been produced in collaboration with Texas Folklife’s student and community documentary training program, Stories from Deep in the Heart, and with Akins High School Austin Corps senior class lead by Social Studies Teacher Linda O’Neal.

The event will be held on Friday, December 6, from 6:30-8:00 p.m., at the City Hall Austin. Refreshments will be served, and the Listening Party and Q&A will follow at 6:30. It is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in the garage with validation.

Linda O’Neal has been teaching for 14 years, attended the Texas Folklife Summer Institute in 2012, and approached Texas Folklife with the idea of student created stories about Texas artists. There are six stories with five stories about artists: Vincent Valdez (The City and Strange Fruit), Dave McClinton (graphic designer, artist), Larissa Akhmetova (muralist), Carla Rondon (Akins High student) and rapper Lench Martinez (What Happened to Austin). The sixth story is about an Akins High tradition, pig-kissing!

About Akins High School

Akins High School, located in far south Austin, is made up of six learning communities: Arts & Humanities, Business & Leadership, Green Tech, New Tech, Social Services and T-STEM. Through this structure, students are exposed to college and career pathways while receiving individualized instruction. The Akins High School community educates every student to be self-sufficient, strengthens every student to face challenges of mind and heart, and nurtures every student to become lifelong learners in a diverse world.

The school’s namesake, Dr. W. Charles Akins, helped lead the charge for Austin schools to value diversity, set high expectations and offer students and staff the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.

http://www.akinseagles.org/

Akins High School

10701 S 1st St

Austin, TX 78748

T (512)841-9900

F (512) 841-9903

This project is made possible from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, and support from Austin Independent School District Austin Corps, the Blanton Museum, and KVRX 91.7 FM.