Apple is most well known for its premium line of tech products, from iPhones to MacBooks, iPads and more. But for Apple, a big part of the company’s brand goes beyond the products themselves, and instead places an emphasis on what those products allow people to create.
In June, Apple launched Today at Apple Creative Studios, a series of programs that aim to provide mentorship, skills training and creative resources to young adults in underrepresented communities in cities across the world. To do this, Apple partners with local nonprofits and community organizations to help lead creative programs across music, film, photography, art and design. And, of course, the company also supplies a full line-up of Apple products for the participants to use.
On Wednesday, Apple announced that it would bring the program to the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. The company has partnered with Yollocalli Arts Reach, Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy and the Chicago Architecture Biennial to provide young adults with training and support in the areas of photography and illustration. Participants will be chosen by these nonprofit partners through a closed application process. Apple has also teamed up with Chicago-based photographers Mercedes Zapata and Sebastián Hidalgo to serve as mentors.
“Yollocalli Arts Reach is the award-winning youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art, and it has provided creative development opportunities to young adults in Pilsen, Little Village, and the surrounding communities since 1997,” Yollocalli Arts Reach deputy director Hananne Hanafi said in a statement. “It is our goal to provide a safer space for our students to not only grow as artists, but to also become active members in their communities. We are thrilled to be working on Today at Apple Creative Studios — Chicago, and we look forward to seeing all the amazing artwork from our participants.”
The program kicks off September 18 and will last six weeks until mid October. At the end of the program, there will be a celebratory showcase showing off the participants’ work. The program will be held virtually due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.
The Chicago program comes after Apple led Creative Studio programs in Los Angeles, Beijing, Bangkok and London, where participants developed skills in things like music, photography and so on. Along with the Chicago program, Apple also announced that it will be bringing a Creative Studios program to Washington, D.C., beginning September 20. Altogether, Apple has joined forces with 24 nonprofits and community partners and 80 teaching artists, mentors and industry experts in order to launch these initiatives.
Apple adds that each of these programs represent a multiyear commitment to these communities. Apple said that it plans to host annual Creative Studios programs and supply ongoing support to its nonprofit and community partners through grant funding.
“We’re so excited to be able to connect young people from underrepresented communities with artists and mentors to guide and inspire them in Washington and Chicago,” Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s SVP of retail and people, said in a statement. “In each city where we’ve launched Today at Apple Creative Studios, our partnerships with incredible community organizations have enabled us to bring creative arts education to those who need it most, and we look forward to bringing Creative Studios to even more cities.”
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