FirstWorks connects world-class artists with local schools, libraries and neighborhoods to enrich the lives of youth in Rhode Island’s most economically disadvantaged areas. Our focus is engagement through arts-education and arts-creation.
March 2010
Sponsored by the Brown University Creative Arts Council:
RESIDENCY SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 11, 5PM- 6:30PM
FILM SCREENING: “In Motion with Michael Moschen”
Panel discussion to follow
Location: Brown University Campus, Smith-Buonanno 106
86 Cushing Street, Providence [map]
*FREE and open to the public - pre-registration required
Friday, March 12, 4PM- 5:30PM
MASTER CLASS with MICHAEL MOSCHEN
In this live demonstration, Mr. Moschen will illustrate the physical and mathematical principles that underlie his creative process.
Location: Brown University Campus, McCormack Family Theater
70 Brown Street, Providence [map]
*FREE and open to the public - pre-registration required
This event is co-sponsored by the McCormack Family Theater of the Literary Arts Department, Brown University
Kerry Bergin, Community Programs Coordinator: (401) 421-4278
Saturday, March 13, 7:30PM
PERFORMANCE: “Illusions in motion”
Be there as this master of illusion and MacArthur Genius Fellow wields the power of physics, math and art for an unforgettable performance experience. Stay after the show for an Artist Up Close discussion.
Location: Veterans Memorial Auditorium (VMA) Arts and Cultural Center
1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence (adjacent to the State House)
CLICK HERE FOR TICKET INFO
LEARN MORE:
Click here to watch videos of Moschen in motion.
educational program highlights:
Collaboration with more than 15 schools and after-school programs:
In partnership with Providence's MET school, FirstWorks hosted Acrobats and Assembly Lines, a conversation with Chris Lashua, artistic director of FirstWorks Festival headliner Cirque Mechanics. Lashua’s introduction to the post-industrial inspiration behind their production, Birdhouse Factory, attracted artists and students from The Steel Yard, Trinity Rep, and New Urban Arts.
Opportunities for students to perform with artists:
After a participatory workshop exploring the history and methods of improvisational music, students from J.M.W. School for the Performing and Visual Arts joined local musicians Steve Jobe and Chris Turner on stage for their performance Chamber Music for Diverse Ensembles.
Opportunities for aspiring artists:
Pixilerations new media artist Lisa Young presented her work to teenagers from Central Falls and Pawtucket at the J.M.W. School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In addition to promoting literacy in both technology and the arts, the workshop allowed students to engage with an artist from their own community. FirstWorks organized this workshop in partnership with RISD@Walsh.
Cross-cultural learning:
HORSE, Taiwan’s first, all-male dance company, demonstrated excerpts from their performance, Velocity, at the San Miguel School of Providence, an independent middle school for boys, and for Global Studies Academy students at Central Falls High School.
In a 3-day residency, the Yellow Bird Indian Dancers conducted workshops at four Rhode Island elementary and middle schools. Participating students engaged with Apache cultural traditions through story-telling activities and a Hoop Dance lesson.
Multi-layered arts learning:
In a residency at Brown University, electronic music pioneer Pauline Oliveros delivered multiple opportunities for Brown music students and RISD Digital Media students to engage with her groundbreaking work in electronic and meditative music through guest lectures and a critique of student work. Public programs included an evening of performance at the RISD Auditorium, and a free, afternoon workshop where Oliveros and her partner, Ione, facilitated story sharing, meditation exercises, and interactive listening activities for a group of 50 students and community members. Click here to watch a projo.com interview with Oliveros.
Our partnership with reknowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Project:
From January through March, 2009, FirstWorks engaged over 500 students from Pawtucket, Central Falls, Providence and Woonsocket with an artists' residency program and curriculum designed to promote global understanding.
The program included:
