Posts from the ‘Neighborhood Studios’ Category

Apr 11

Writing and Imagination

Perusing the mighty universe of the internet one evening, I stumbled across a parody music video of the popular (and amazing) HBO show Game of Thrones. Snared by the catchy tune and the spectacle of a male queen of dragons, I wasn’t prepared for this interesting quote that ended the performance:

“Hollywood Cannot Live Up to the Power of Your Imagination”

At that point, I remembered that, although made nationally popular by television, Game of Thrones originated in the imagination of George R. R. Martin. And then I started thinking more about popular culture nowadays: The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, the highly anticipated The Great Gatsby—all of these cinematic blockbusters share the common ancestor of the written word and, consequently, the minds of authors. In a world where reading seems to have fallen to the wayside, writers and the imaginations they obsess over unveiling to us appear just as relevant and public as ever.

Anita Diamant, beloved author of The Red Tent and keynote speaker at the Twain House’s Writer’s Weekend

As a former English Major in college and an aspiring writer myself, I’ve always held a soft spot in my heart for the novel. As such, I feel privileged to live in Greater Hartford and to enjoy a heritage filled with American literary masters like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. At the same time, I’m excited that we honor that past by holding so many events and resources for writers to unravel, brainstorm and explore the depths of their ideas with their peers. For example, at the end of April, the Mark Twain House holds its 2^nd Annual Writers’ Weekend. This celebration of authors includes workshops, courses and talks with award-winning writers and playwrights from all over the country. For younger writers, the Twain House also holds the Write to the Point!: Nonfiction Writing studio in our nationally-recognized Neighborhood Studios teen arts apprenticeship program this summer. For a smaller, more engaging writing experience, there’s Syllable, a reading series for aspiring writers organized by theme, and Edgings & Inchings at Real Art Ways, a monthly poetry reading and open mic night.

If you’ve ever wanted to give writing a chance—to wield the difficult power of the pen (well, keyboard I guess, nowadays)—these events may be the kick-start you need to get your prose or verse pumping. Although the consumption of novels has expanded into more vehicles than just printed pages in today’s culture, their heart has remained the same—to bring us to different worlds, to bare human essence and emotion in front of our eyes and to challenge us to think differently about…well, everything really. And, in the end, isn’t that the objective of every form of art?

Aug 13

The Spectacle and Magic of Breakdancing Shakespeare

William Shakespeare—two seemingly innocent names when strung together represent the bane of many high schoolers English careers. From the iambic pentameter to the early modern English syntax and word usage, Shakespeare can be just plain difficult. At the heart of this frustration rests a question that’s crossed everyone who has ever read Hamlet or Macbeth’s mind: why do we still read and perform this stuff? What makes Shakespeare so special? (And what’s with that weird doily thing around his neck in his portrait—seriously?)

As a Shakespeare aficionado, I think his true timelessness resides in his complex unraveling and brandishing of the essential mental and emotional human experience. Or, to put it in less English major speak, Shakespeare’s plays hit at the heart of essential human feeling and thought. And though Shakespeare’s writing embodies the language of an era, his plots, characters and themes resonate and relate to any time, thereby making his plays perfect for adaptation to different ages of history, cultures and, well, anything really.

Enter: Hartford Stage’s Neighborhood Studios Breakdancing Shakespeare production of Much Ado About Nothing, which I had the pleasure of seeing last week. Featuring 16 Neighborhood Studios teenage apprentices, I know what you’re thinking—Breakdancing and Shakespeare? Does that work? Lax those furrowed brows and doubts, because the answer is a resounding yes!

Above all through my eyes, Breakdancing Shakespeare managed to mix together original music with heart-stopping choreography while still binding everything together with Shakespeare’s lyrics, characters and themes. For instance, Much Ado About Nothing explores the need to remain critical of information sources, interrogating the classic dichotomies of honesty vs. deception and reality vs. fiction. Amidst the dance battles, headstands, flips and other impressive acrobatics performed by the entire cast, Breakdancing Shakespeare never lost site of this crucial theme, instead choosing the lines from the play’s original text that best exemplified this concept. Although I’m sure it must have been difficult for the adaptors, by accomplishing this feat clearly and crisply, they kept the heart of Shakespeare in their performance while still chocking it full of incredible spectacle—no easy task I’m sure, but certainly worthy of praise!

Another truly impressive feature about Breakdancing Shakespeare was the fact that the performance came together within such a short span of time. The Neighborhood Studios apprentices only had six (!) weeks to prepare each movement, song and line for this production. The apprentices, alongside the master teaching artists, must have had their hands full the entire time with each aspect of the incredibly multifaceted production. And being able to pull it off in such glorious fashion only speaks wonders to everyone’s talents and work ethics involved in Breakdancing Shakespeare.

Reflecting about this Neighborhood Studios program as a whole, Breakdancing Shakespeare not only helps teach teens about the wonders (and head tilts) of Shakespeare, but also leaves them with such a great experience about the work it takes to develop a career in the arts. Although I’m sure there were many falls (literally and symbolically) along the way, each apprentice surmounted the challenges of a professional theatrical production with personal style, humor and grace. Those experiences, hardships and triumphs can only help each apprentice with opportunities in any position later in their careers. And in my opinion, therein lies the true magic of all of our Neighborhood Studios programs.

All in all, I had a blast going to see the production. Kudos to the staff and apprentices that made it all possible. And I would guess Shakespeare, although confused, would be proud of the production, as well.

(All photos courtesy of The Defining Photo, LLC)

Aug 1

Spotlight On: Snap! Photography

Ten Neighborhood Studios apprentices from all over the Greater Hartford area came together this summer for the Snap! Photography program hosted by the Amistad Center for Art and Culture at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Their Master Teaching Artist, Caleb Portfolio, and his assistant, Molly McGuire, have been teaching them the magic of photography for the past four weeks. On the first day, while getting to know each other, the apprentices took portraits of each other with black and white film. During the week, Caleb showed the apprentices how to shoot, expose, develop, and print their pictures, all while exploring downtown Hartford.

Throughout the next few weeks, the Snap! apprentices have “taken their cameras for a walk,” searching for inspiration through their lenses. They have been mastering photography elements such as composition and depth of field in order to have more control over the pictures they take. Inside the studio, the apprentices have access to studio lights and backdrops, which create a very different shooting environment. In between shoots, they also have access to a film scanner and editing software like Photoshop, along with a complete darkroom setup (in a tiny closet, but it gets the job done!)

The apprentices are also getting a “behind the scenes” tour of the Wadsworth Atheneum, getting a chance to meet with talented staff members like Allen Phillips, Manager of Imaging and Publications, John Teahan, Librarian and Curator of Special Book Collections, and Alona Wilson, Assistant Director and Curator of the Amistad Center. Each week they are being exposed to not only the process of art making, but also what goes into actually running an art institution.

This year the theme for the studio is “Collective Memories.” Each apprentice is being charged with the task of developing a small body of work based on that overall theme. Some apprentices are looking into their past and exploring relationships with relatives that have passed away, while others are examining the idea of forgetfulness and faded memories. The final exhibition will include black and white and digital prints that the apprentices will curate and hang in the Wadsworth’s Hartford Courant Room.

The Exhibition opens on Thursday August 2 at 5:00pm at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Admission is $5 or FREE for members. We would love to have you all come and visit and celebrate our group’s amazing achievement. Thanks go out to all of our sponsors for their generosity and making this program possible.

Jul 25

Spotlight On: Artists Collective’s Youth Jazz Orchestra & Performing Dance Ensemble

For six weeks this summer, twenty apprentices are enrolled in the Artists Collective’s two Neighborhood Studios programs: Youth Jazz Orchestra and Performing Dance Ensemble. Artists Collective is the only arts and heritage organization to host two studios in the same space.

Apprentices of the Youth Jazz Orchestra are being exposed to the history of jazz and African American music. They are learning concepts of improvisation and the art of composition, and arranging for a big band. They receive instruction in music theory, scales, portal harmony and other techniques. Apprentices also benefit from smaller ensemble groups where they can perfect their craft with the guidance of instructors and peers. One member of the orchestra in particular is an aspiring vocalist. She is diligently working on and mastering classic jazz standards, as well as harmony for a smaller vocal ensemble. The Artists Collective Youth Jazz Orchestra is under the direction of Master Artist-in-Residence, René McLean, and Music Coordinator, Obie Gereau.

In Performing Dance Ensemble, apprentices are learning a broad spectrum of dance techniques, in addition to the cultural influences that developed and derived from these forms through concentration on body mechanics. Innovative and improvisational choreography have also been an integral part of dance compositions for the final performances. Film is also being incorporated in dance workshops to document the dancer’s growth during the six-week program. The Artists Collective Performing Ensemble is under the direction of Jolette Creary, Dance Coordinator, and Aqiida Gilbert, Rite of Passage Program Coordinator.

Apprentices of the Youth Jazz Orchestra and Dance Department will demonstrate and collaborate on performance pieces, while exploring their artistic expression for the final performances. This year’s production, entitled “The Color of Love,” will take place on Wednesday, August 8, and Thursday, 9 at 6:30 pm at the Artists Collective, 1200 Albany Avenue, Hartford. Call 860-527-3205 for ticket information.

Jul 18

Spotlight On: Real Art Ways’ Eye On Video

For the past three weeks, ten Apprentices have immersed themselves in the world of film while working at Real Art Ways in the Neighborhood Studios Eye On Video program. This program gives both experienced and non-experienced young filmmakers the opportunity to study a series of seminal historical and contemporary films while finding and developing their own artistic voice.

In the first week, the 2012 Apprentices were introduced to the principles of cinematography and editing, both of which are essential elements in film production. Then, the Apprentices split off into small groups to create short “in-camera edited” films, which focus on direct observation. This project explored the relationship of the eye to the camera lens and challenged these young filmmakers to observe the world they live in more closely and contemplatively, tuning them in to the phenomena of seeing. The time spent practicing these techniques became a foundation for the Apprentices to hone their eye, helping them to envision the films they wanted to create this summer.

From there, the Apprentices continued to work on their cinematography skills by competing in a Shot Scavenger Hunt assignment that required them to film ideal examples of various technical shots. The Apprentices eagerly compiled what they hoped to be first-place-worthy shots for the purpose of receiving a very desirable prize, a one year free Movie Pass to the Real Art Ways cinema! Considering how well all of our Apprentices did this year, Real Art Ways chose to award all ten Apprentices with a coveted year long movie pass!

Erika Van Natta, our master artist-in-residence, has constructed a fulfilling college level curriculum designed to help advance our apprentices’ pursuit of filmmaking excellence. This year’s final project will focus on French Surrealist and German Expressionist films of the 1920s such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene, and Un Chien Andalou, a silent short film by director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí. This assignment will allow the Apprentices to re-interpret historically significant films of the 1920s from their own personal and contemporary perspectives.

Currently, the Apprentices are applying their new understanding of individual shots to piece together ambitious character driven, narrative films. We are greatly enjoying watching the Apprentices hone their skills and realize their artistic visions through film studies and production. In the coming weeks, we are certain that the Apprentices will continue to be successful and productive as they work towards their professional and personal goals.

A selection of the Apprentices’ work will be showcased in the Eye On Video film festival, which will take place on Tuesday August 7, 5:30 p.m. in the Real Art Ways Cinema, 56 Arbor Street, Hartford. We invite you to attend. Admission is open to the public and free of charge.

Jul 11

Spotlight On: Hartford Stage’s Breakdancing Shakespeare

Hello Arts Council blog readers! To kick things off, let me introduce myself. I’m Gina, a sophomore at the University of Connecticut and this is my fourth year with Neighborhood Studios’ Breakdancing Shakespeare program. I’d like to give you all a little insight into what is going on in the rehearsal studio for Breakdancing Shakespeare’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, where I have the honor to be playing Leonato, the father of Hero.

Now that that is out of the way…on to better things. We have hit the ground running at Olympic speed this year. With an off-book date of July 9^th and our fabulous director taking some time off to tie the knot, we have been forging ahead with the show in so many ways.

We kicked off the week working on finishing the opening number (see video clips from the opening number) and learning a pretty (but complicated for some, aka, me) House routine that will be the basis for the next number we will be learning for the show. On Monday, we attended our first Neighborhood Studios session where Chris O’Connor, the Neighborhood Studios Project Manager, spoke about first impressions, networking and a few other topics. At the end, we were able to put what we just learned into action when a few employees of the Arts Council joined our session. We mingled with them and apprentices from other studios, introducing ourselves and talking about what was going on in our studios, about ourselves, and so on.

On Tuesday, we spent some time with master teaching artist Bob Davis in a voice based master class. We spent time learning how to relax our bodies without completely relaxing so our bodies are free of tension but not falling asleep at the same time. Wednesday we took the day off to relax for the holiday and Thursday was one of the most exciting days yet (for me at least). In the afternoon we spent some time with Hartford Stage’s Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak on the MainStage. The focus of this master class was to work on filling the theatre with our voices, as well as to make sure that everyone in the audience feels ‘loved’ when we say our lines (not everyone needs the backside of an actor at all times!).

Having Darko take time out of his schedule to work with us is such a blessing and I hope he can squeeze us in again before the show goes up. His words of wisdom and advice are invaluable at this stage and we are so lucky to have him. (He also picked a monologue I had to memorize as part of an exercise during his workshop, so I should really thank him for the help memorizing, too!)

Friday was another voice class with Bob Davis and more work on choreography for the show. We also did a stumble-through of the show (with scripts in hands, of course), which definitely helped for being off-book on Monday.

For more insider looks at the scenes, dances and other cool stuff we will be working on for Breakdancing Shakespeare, check out the Hartford Stage’s blog frequently, which also includes an entry about the first week of the program. Breakdancing Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing will perform at Hartford Stage on Monday August 6 at 6:00p and 8:30p. Tickets are $5 and will be available through the Box Office (860) 527-5151 and online at www.hartfordstage.org.

Jul 5

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Spotlight On: Hartford Children’s Theatre’s Triple Threat Teens: Advanced Theatre Workshop

SYGYZY. Sygyzy is defined as the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies. This is the word that starts the production of 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – but it is also a word that could be used to describe the alignment of energies that kicked off Hartford Children’s Theatre’s 2012 Neighborhood Studio: Triple Threat Teens. Hartford Children’s Theatre, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and a terrific group of 14 students from 12 different towns in the Greater Hartford Region came together to begin work on an exciting series of summer performance projects.

HCT’s Education Director Lisa Foss began with an overview presentation of what the program would involve: A fully-produced musical production of the hilarious 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a social-issues one-act play presentation of a work created by the teen apprentices, a mentoring project in which the apprentices will work directly with the members of HCT’s Discovery Company of 5-8 year old students, as well a series of Master Classes led by the Teaching Artist Team of HCT in set design, costuming, curriculum development, dance disciplines, auditioning, front-of-house projects, time-management and more!

Director Jill Luberto started off day one of rehearsal with a series of intros and ice-breakers. She gathered students and the creative team to create a “Timeline-Spider web.” Apprentices drew out their lifelines including important dates, events that had a profound effect on them. This also included a future timeline with hopes, dreams and self-described goals. This proved to be a nice way for everyone to get to know one another and establish a “safe place” for expressing oneself in an honest way. She then segued into some quick, fun improvisation games to boost the energy and to get the teamwork started.

As the week progressed, Music Director Jeff Howey began to teach music from the challenging score! Choreographer Angellica Badillo got right to work and staged several key numbers from the show. Jill discussed character development with the cast. “Each ‘inner geek’ must be embraced,” she pointed out. “The contestant characters are the geekiest of the geek—but we want to love each of the contestants, not pity them. Each of them may be weird in their own way, and you have to find little character ‘ticks’ that make them who they are and why they are the way they are. We want to root for them.”

Progress was also made on the social-issues one act play. Roundtable discussions about social issues affecting today’s teenager led to wonderful heated debates. Many strong voices were raised amongst the cast, and all seemed to have shared concerns and views on many issues. Two of the most heated debates revolved around “Body image” and “Stereotypes.” Excellent and passionate observations were given by each apprentice.

Apprentices also participated in a Story Theatre workshop led by Lisa Foss, as they prepared for their work with the “little kids,” which will begin next week.

As the first new Neighborhood Studio program in the last seven years—HCT is extremely excited to have the opportunity to participate in this wonderful program. With a dynamic group of teens and enthusiastic leaders for each facet of the program, the SYZYGY is sure to continue.

—Lisa Foss, Education Director for Hartford Children’s Theatre

Jun 27

Spotlight On: Neighborhood Studios

This week officially kicks-off the Arts Council’s Neighborhood Studios, a six-week arts education apprenticeship program, for 2012! For the next 5 weeks, we will be putting the “Spotlight On” one studio a week to provide an exclusive, insider look at what makes each studio special and unique.

But before we dive into rehearsal studios and gallery spaces, some of you might be thinking: what actually…is Neighborhood Studios? To give you a quick idea, Neighborhood Studios provides teens within Greater Hartford an opportunity to explore careers in the arts through six-week arts education apprenticeships. During this tenure, teens not only receive hands-on instruction from master teaching artists in the arts fields of their passions, but also engage in career skills training workshops at the Hartford Public Library and gain a weekly stipend for their time. The program really promotes both artistic and professional growth in a truly unique summer experience for teens, which all culminates with “Studio Showcases” of public exhibitions and performances of their work at the end of the program.

When asked about Neighborhood Studios, our CEO Cathy Malloy answered, “In today’s competitive times, the Neighborhood Studios program helps students develop the skills they’ll need to succeed in the workplace not only in the arts, but any position.” She continued by saying, “Neighborhood Studios unifies the Arts Council’s commitment to providing quality education opportunities to residents of Greater Hartford with its resolve to show the importance of the arts in today’s business world and economy.”

This year, the Arts Council has partnered with 5 local arts organizations in Hartford to host 6 different studios in artistic fields including dance, theater, visual arts and music working toward the corresponding productions and themes:

Triple Threat Teens: Advanced Theatre Studio at Hartford Children’s Theatre
- PRODUCTION: The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Breakdancing Shakespeare at Hartford Stage
- PRODUCTION: Much Ado About Nothing (Plus: 1-Act Play TBD)
“Eye on Video” Digital Film Production at Real Art Ways
- THEME: Contemporary Re-Interpretations of Seminal 1920s Films
Youth Jazz Orchestra & Performing Dance Ensemble at Artists Collective
- THEME: The Colors of Love
Snap! Photography Studio at The Amistad Center for Art & Culture
- THEME: Collective Memory

This list also matches the “Spotlight On” publication schedule, as well, so check back often for snapshots of Neighborhood Studios before the public exhibitions!

To learn more about each studio and for a schedule of studio showcases and performances, visit www.LetsGoArts.org/NeighborhoodStudios.

Furthermore, many thanks to Travelers, this year’s lead sponsor of Neighborhood Studios, Northeast Utilities Foundation, the contributing sponsor, and studio sponsors the Howard A. Fromson Foundation, the Elizabeth Carse Foundation and the Lincoln Financial Foundation. Additional support for Neighborhood Studios also comes from The United Way of Center and Northeastern CT, Alstom, Bob’s Discount Furniture, the NewAlliance Foundation, the Fisher Foundation and individuals to the Arts Council.

Jun 7

Fun Evening, Fine Dining at Max Downtown

Last Sunday was another big Arts Council event: Max’s Farm to Table Wine Dinner for United Arts. Long name, I know.

Every year, Max Downtown partners Richard Rosenthal and Steven Abrams close down their restaurant, undoubtedly Hartford’s premier destination for amazing food and top-notch service, and let us use their space (and staff) to create a one-of-a-kind fundraising event to support United Arts and Neighborhood Studios, our summer arts apprenticeship program. Max’s Executive Chef, Hunter Morton, creates a truly amazing five-course meal featuring seasonal ingredients from local Connecticut farms and, to top it all off, philanthropist and business leader Andy Mandell serves up a wonderful live auction featuring some really cool items. You know what they say: never bid on an empty stomach.

You might be thinking, “what about the booze? I thought this was a wine dinner!” We work with Connecticut Distributors, Inc. and Toast Wines by Taste, a great boutique wine seller in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square, to find a well-known winery to select appropriate pairings for each course. This year, Pam Macrini of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines brought along bottles of some of her best vintages—from a lightly chilled Valdiguié to a subtle Chardonnay and a full-bodied Petit Sirah—for our guests to enjoy with each dish. Talking throughout the evening, she explained why each wine was specifically chosen and gave us all some pointers about how to discern the flavors of each sip. I’m no wine expert, but this was good wine. Real good.

As with any big event, Allie, our events manager, and I spend most of the afternoon running around like chickens with our head cut off, only to see the event come together in all it’s splendor moments before the guests arrived. It was a wildly successful “love fest,” with many big corporate sponsors and individual arts enthusiasts celebrating great art and fine food. Cathy spoke from the heart about her first 8 months as the new CEO of the Arts Council, and our 2012 United Arts Campaign Chair, Mayor Pedro Segarra, gave a passionate account of how important the arts are to him and to the quality of life of Hartford. Most moving, however, was the story of Sasha Brooks, an 18-year-old alum of the Breakdancing Shakespeare Neighborhood Studio at Hartford Stage, who talked about how his involvement with the program and the arts gave him direction. It was really wonderful to hear a first-hand account of how the arts can change someone’s life.

By the end of the night, Allie and I sat exhausted at the auction check-out table as I scarfed down the last of my fifth course, an unbelievable strawberry brioche bread pudding. It was a long day and a very long night, but a landmark evening for our United Arts Campaign. Plus, it’s nice to get together with 100 of our closest friends and share something we’re all enthusiastic about: the arts.

And wine.

Very, VERY special thanks to the chef, staff and partners of Max Downtown, Connecticut Distributors, Toast Wines, Pam Macrini and J. Lohr for their wine expertise, and everyone who attended the event: enjoy the gift bags!