VSA arts of Connecticut – Young Audiences of Connecticut
|
3074 Whitney Avenue |
Eileen Carpinella |
|
Tel.: (203) 230-8101 |
Organizational Profile:
|
Full-time Staff: 2 |
 |
Young Audiences of Connecticut’s vision is for all children to realize their potential through the arts; for recognition that the arts are valued for their ability to improve our schools and communities and that, by participation in the arts, children will come to understand and value themselves, their neighbors, and the world cultures they share.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
CREC Soundbridge School; Greater Hartford Jaycees, Inc.; Green Street Arts Center; Stanley Whitman House; Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism (CCT); State Education Resource Center (SERC); J. Walton Bissell Foundation
State Programs
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
AIM HI
Arts in the Mainstream for the Hearing Impaired (AIM HI) is a three-year arts initiative developed in partnership between Young Audiences Arts for Learning Connecticut (YAC) and CREC Soundbridge School. AIM HI will utilize the visual and performing arts through workshops, residencies and a family community program, and directly supports the CREC Soundbridge School Mission.
ARTS REACH Community Arts Program
ARTS REACH will utilize the visual and performing arts through two two-hour workshops, and three artist residencies inclusive of children and adults with disabilities and their families. The ARTS REACH Community Arts program supports YAC, VSA arts initiative to provide inclusive arts programming via partnerships with arts, community, and cultural organizations in Hartford and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut in FY 2007.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Artist Professional Development Program
The Artist Professional Development Program is continuing as a result of the written evaluation feedback from artists, arts program coordinators and others who attended “Exploring Possibilities—The Art of Inclusion, A Conference on Developing Arts Programs for Children with Special Needs” presented by YAC and held in September 2006. YAC will offer four professional development workshops. The target audience will be artists, arts program coordinators, and others who engage in developing arts programs for children and adults with disabilities. Twenty participants are anticipated for each workshop. These workshops will be held in half day sessions and will include a combination of: hands-on arts experiences; sessions for artists to develop inclusive arts learning workshop and residency plans; site visits to successfully operating arts programs for children and adults with disabilities; and presentations by persons with disabilities who are successfully engaged in their art. YAC will facilitate ‘artist shares’ in conjunction with these professional development opportunities so that artists may learn from educators and teaching artists already engaged in this work. Three Professional Development Workshops will be held at the Green Street Arts Center in Middletown. The fourth will be held at an arts, community, cultural, disability, or educational location that has successfully implemented an inclusive arts program.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Site Visits
Site Visits, Arts Program Review and Planning Meetings to be held at the individual sites of the arts, community and cultural organizations seeking to partner with YAC in developing new inclusive arts programs, or enhancing existing arts programs to be inclusive of children and adults with disabilities.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Access Initiatives
YAC will raise public awareness of VSA arts, YAC’s VSA arts of Connecticut affiliation, and VSA arts of Connecticut’s programs through community presentations and speeches, presentations at conferences, YAC’s Web site, press releases, and communication with appropriate media staff throughout Connecticut. The focus will be raising awareness to the wider community.
(F) 202-429-0868