Outreach
In the Schools & In Our Community
We believe in developing an appreciation of the arts for the young and the young-at-heart. Recent studies have shown that individuals with some arts background are more creative and bring the necessary skills to adapt in a rapidly changing world market. The creative arts can also offer an alternative outlet for the elderly to communicate with others.
Several of our series performers will conduct master classes, or workshops. There are also opportunities for local students to meet with professional visual artists.
Education
Programming
Grades k-2
What Do You Do with a Problem?
This dance theatre adaptation of the beloved children’s book by Kobi Yamada, What Do You Do With a Problem?, beautifully tells the story of a child facing a persistent problem. At first, the problem feels overwhelming, growing larger the more it’s ignored. But when the child bravely confronts it, the problem reveals unexpected possibilities. This moving, emotionally rich production invites audiences to see challenges in a new light—reminding us that within every problem may lie a hidden opportunity… and a chance to discover something meaningful about ourselves. Produced by Inlet Dance Theatre, Cleveland, Ohio.
Education Programming
Grades 3-5
Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar
It's the late 1800s. An eleven year old Native Hawaiian boy accidentally strikes the strings of his guitar with a bolt from a railroad track and unlocks a brand new sound. Hawaiian music - and the music of America - is never the same. Based on a true story, Joseph Kekuku and the Voice of the Steel Guitar, traces the incredible invention of the steel guitar from the taro fields to vaudeville halls to Blues, Country, Rock and Roll music and beyond. With a live slide guitar soundtrack and projections, this production celebrates innovation, engineering, and the global exchange of ideas and sound. It tells the real-life story of Joseph Kekuku, as well as the story of the annexation of Hawaii. Rich in history, the play also looks forward and encourages children of today to celebrate their voice, culture, and sense of curiosity. Produced by Honolulu Theatre for Youth.
Education
Programming
Grades 6-8
Jean-Michel and the Be-Bop Kings
Jean-Michel Basquiat ranks among the most compelling painters of the 20th Century. He possessed a deep love and passion for jazz, particularly the be-bop style, and found great inspiration in the creative achievements of the genre’s great masters, often paying homage by depicting them in his paintings as noblemen, kings and heroes. Not unlike the music of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and other architects of modern jazz, Basquiat’s work possesses visceral intensity, humor, and spontaneity. Jean-Michel and the Be-Bop Kings, aims to introduce young audiences to the legacies of these groundbreaking musicians through the captivating work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and explores how their respective life experiences and the social conditions shaped their worldview, informed their artistic sensibilities, and inspired prolific creative output. Produced by JazzReach.
