Thanks to a generous grant from the James E. and Diane W. Burke Foundation, the artists of Hip Hop Fundamentals performed “Civil Rights Movements” to a packed audience at 13th Avenue School in Newark, NJ. Students learned about youth involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement then learned the dance moves in hip hop dance workshops. Finally, students shared their own choreography and breakdancing moves in a performance for the school community.

Engineers in Training

Students at Bridge Academy in Lawrenceville worked with visual artist Ben Pranger exploring design and engineering in their art studio. Using found and recycled material and 3-D printed parts, students created large-scale, wind-powered kinetic sculptures that were installed on the school grounds and will now serve as an outdoor classroom.

Uniting Around Creativity

Teaching artist Marilyn Keating led 5th graders and 2nd grade special needs students in a mural making partnership. Students selected a theme, sketched designs, created papier mache butterflies, and painted the mural. At the mural unveiling, students presented about designing and creating the mural.

Partnering to Bring Performances to Pennsylvania

Each year, Young Audiences partners with the Connelly Foundation to bring performances to schools in Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks Counties.  This year, 4,595 Pennsylvania students experienced performances exploring a variety of topics including Chinese acrobatics, poetry, percussion, communication and teamwork, Ugandan culture, STEAM, the science of sound, hip hop dance, and more. After experiencing  Ssuuna’s Eda Ne Kakati (From the Past to the Present)exploring Ugandan music, dance, and traditions, the Principal at St. Cyril of Alexandria in East Landsdowne shared, “Ssuuna was a great performer! He incorporated character values and life lessons into the program. He kept the children engaged. It was a wonderful performance!”