“Working Alongside the Kids” An Interview with Jim Duignan
Beyond the usual perfunctory updates about our work, we seldom really get to know what our colleagues are doing. A few months ago I sat down one morning with Jim Duignan to talk about the Stockyard Institute. The Nomadic Studio was getting ready to leave the Art Museum just outside the library, and Jim was on the move.
Jim, however, has been on the move for over 20 years. He packs up his stuff, including his pirate radio gear, and takes it along with him to the next place, where he continues doing what he does best: giving youth multiple outlets to express their voices, their concerns, and their understandings. And behind him, he leaves not only budding artists but also stronger, more empowered youth.
What follows is a short excerpt from our talk, recorded on Jim’s radio setup. No doubt Jim’s words are music enough for those interested in making the classroom a relevant part of youths’ lives, but Faiz Razi, Jim’s colleague, has edited it down and dubbed it to create an underlying texture that is quintessential Stockyard Institute.
