We were lucky to catch up with Jarrel Phillips recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jarrel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents did so many things right. So much of what I do today is because of them.
1. They introduced me to capoeira when I was a kid.
2. Took us on vacations to places like Jamaica.
3. Put me and my brothers in programs like the African American Art and Culture Complex where I was exposed to African history and heritage pertaining to the continent and the diaspora, including in an American context.
4. They invested in my education by sending me and my brothers to an all-Black private school for elementary school.
5. Got me my first camera as a high school graduation gift (I preferred it over a school jacket or class ring).
6. Moved us out of our neighborhood when it begin to get really problematic for us.
7. My dad would assistant coach for just about every sports team I played for up until about 7th grade.

More than anything, they were present and never gave up on us. Nowadays, some people refer it as being “parent privileged” to grow up in a household with both parents. I grew up in a building where my mom’s twin sister and husband lived with my two cousins and on the lowest level was my grandfather’s insurance agency where my grandfather, grandmother, and uncle worked. That was my maternal side in one building. My dad’s side of the family was even bigger. They were all mostly in San Francisco as well. Our church was 3 blocks around the corner and the African American Art and Culture Center, where we once went for after-school enrichment, was 3 blocs away as well. They gave me a village. I don’t feel privileged. I feel blessed. My neighborhood had a whole lot going on outside and I definitely have my share of stories relating to that, but our parents created a home environment that kept the streets and drama outside. They were true role models and advocates for us. They gave us mentors, put us in countless community enrichment programs, went to school board meetings, complained to the police department when they were out of order, and even did their best to keep us out of the street mess, which sometimes comes to you when you live in certain places. They encouraged education and acted with principle. Our parents loved and supported us, each other, their siblings and parents, and were quick to check us if we acted otherwise. Family and family values was fundamental.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a photographer, film documentarian, youth coach, and capoeira teacher. I love working with young people as I know how important it is because I have had and still have so many individuals who invested in me, supporting me in my development over the years. I am most proud of the fact that I am able to have an impact on the next generation. They have also impacted my life as well. It’s truly a blessing. I am also proud that I have traveled so much and learned so much in my travels and exploration continuing where my parents started me off learning about cultural arts, Black history, and African heritage.

I am a San Francisco-based multimedia artist and capoeira practitioner and teacher who captures, investigates, and tells stories through photography, film, the written word, and performance. Through my work I explore themes of identity, power, consciousness, social and psycho-spiritual development and transformation, heritage, and community values and education, with a significant emphasis on the African diaspora alongside a broader lens on human experience. My practice centers on preserving and sharing the stories of the African diaspora, exploring the concept of “living folklore”—the ongoing cultivation of traditions, customs, and beliefs that shape our identities and connect us across time and space.

I am native of San Francisco and a world traveler. Much of my photography and film explores and documents my travels around the world exploring communities and their history and cultural arts & practices. My travels include: Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Brazil, India, China, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico,Thailand, Jamaica, Haiti, and Panama.

My approach is grounded in a B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development, a Master’s in East-West Psychology, and 24 years of experience mentoring youth across diverse communities, from San Francisco to East Africa. I teach through both formal and informal channels—guiding and supporting students and communities in embracing their heritage, exploring their creative potential, and engaging in meaningful dialogue. Whether in the classroom, through exhibitions, or in workshops, my work encourages individuals to connect with their bodies, cultivate community, develop healthy habits and relationships, explore their roots, and shape their own stories for the future.

As I grow, I am looking to do more life coaching for youth to help them as they navigate daily life in a way that allows them to be grounded in who they are and want to be. I also, am working to take my artistry to the next level. And, I plan to continue to explore, learn, and share my process.

www.avesidea.com

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes. It was not on purpose! When I was 21yrs old, I reunited with my capoeira teacher (Mestre Urubu Malandro) who taught me as a child. Then one of the people in our group, Capoeira Ijexa (e – jay – shah) got me a job at a place called AcroSports (Acro). I was trained to teach movement and basic gymnastics. I had no clue what I was doing at first. I was always nervous. Over time, I improved. I was training capoeira 2-3 times a week and slowly developing that foundation while simultaneously developing an acrobatics base at work. I eventually became the head coach at Acro and my skillset grew. I worked with youth with special needs, helped train new staff, and taught higher skills. Eventually, I was asked if I wanted to teach a kids capoeira class there. My capoeira teacher was already teaching an adult class there for years. Our crew has a long history with the org. Over time my one class grew into many with waitlists! I even started a project in Zanzibar, Tanzanzia where master teachers in capoeira, b boy’n and acrobatics provided instruction to youth for 1-2wks at a time. Acro was one of the sponsors and they were responsible for my initial connection. We went almost annually from 2011-2016. In the Bay Area I began to get opportunities of my own to do contract around SF and Oakland. My first contract gigs with Prescott Circus (teaching acrobatics) and Rice & Beans Co-op (teaching capoeira), which was hosted at Eastside Arts Alliance. Both programs were in Oakland. It was a bit of a trek by public transportation, but contract worked paid more and gave me more flexibility of time when I realized I could make more money this way. I eventually began getting contracted throughout Bayview Hunters Point by various schools and community centers, including Zaccho Dance Theatre and the historical Bayview Opera House. My classes at AcroSports were filling up like crazy because I had so many kids coming to me from all over the city to take additional classes with me in their facility. Eventually, Circus Center offered me my own space to host my own class. I hesitated for almost a year as I had never truly had my own class with no employer or contractor involved. It would be my class and that made me a bit nervous at first. . I finally made the leap of faith because I needed more money and I wanted to grow.
Once I made the move, the rest became history. I kept a low overhead, choosing to live quite modest as I invested in my self and my work. Once I was on my own I begin to get contracts with SFUSD, private schools, and the San Francisco Public Library. There was a point before the pandemic where I was teaching 300+ youth per week. As these relationships developed I also took the opportunity to develop relationships with SFPL and various academic spaces such as CCSF and SFSU. Travel photography became my niche. I explored themes centered around the African diaspora and also around the significance of play, performance, and cultural arts. I have a bachelors in Child Development and play was a big topic in many of my classes. It that has remained a topic of interest for me in addition to the trickster archetype and cultural and performing arts. Eventually, after so much emphasis on traveling and capoeira, I decided I wanted to do something local. That led to my first oral Black history project documenting Black presence and influence in SF. This was featured at City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. I began to make some profit from my shows, not including speaking and performance opportunities relating to the projects. My last curation was in the Jewett Gallery at the San Francisco Public Library, which led to more opportunities: speaking, presentations, panels, and workshops.

At this point I was getting a lot of performance and presentation opportunities. I performed all over including SF Jazz, Circus Center, the Bayview Opera House, and SF MOMA did a feature. I eventually started a youth performance crew. I had a lot of dedicated students at this time. Capoeira Ijexa’s next generation was strong! My youth performance group had many great opportunities as well to be so young (ages 9-14yrs at the time). Things were going great.

Then the shutdowns came. The crazy part was that I I was in talks to be potentially curate shows at two local museums that I had always wanted to do a show at: SF MOMA and Museum of African Diaspora. Meetings were taking place and then boom! All plans ceased to exist. During the pandemic I got the opportunity to sit still and reprioritize my life. What felt like the biggest loss became a new starting point. Since then, I have been actively adding to my skill set and have redirected so that I can expand on my work. Afterall, I want to do more than just teach capoeira and curate exhibitions. Youth and storytelling are my passions. Capoeira and everything else I have done up until now have just been ways in which I’ve been able work with youth and be an active contributor and participant in my community. I recently completed my masters in East-West Pyschology, focusing on social development and transformation. I also earned a coaching certification. My next endeavor involves working with youth and families to support them in their overall well being and social development. My program services will involve mental health, youth coaching, youth camps, wellness retreats, workshops all around envisioning, developing, and creating life skill, healthy lifestyles, and positive self concept. All in all, I want to do more with youth and I want to take my art to the next level while keeping youth, family, culture and community as an emphasis.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Schools have always been my best source. I have strong relationships with the public and private schools. I’d zoom out and say institutions such as schools, community spaces, libraries, and arts spaces. These are the spaces that serve the public in one way or another. Also, being born and raised in SF has it’s advantages. As I inherited the community my family gave me and as someone who works with families I have scaffolded on that and have developed my own, in the process. Happy families and kids are the best marketing. I’ve never advertised in my life, but all that is changing as I have new goals and greater intention.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.avesidea.com
• Instagram: @jarrelmp
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrelphillips

Image Credits

personal photo by Devi Pride Photography