The arts have the power and potential to teach life skills (communication, self-expression, problem solving, decision making, and perseverance) in ways that wind deeply into the heart, soul, and mind of the people whom they touch. By connecting educational outreach with performance, I've discovered that individuals can learn basic skills and values through a collaborative arts curriculum.
Develeoping teams and projects through the past three years, each goup acknowledges specific words that the arts embody (Trust, Respect, Creativity, Confidence, and Community). Our lesson plans spur directly from these words which are fundamental building blocks in our development as artists and as human beings; whether dancing together as a community, playing our instruments, or writing and drawing, each student viscerally experiences the meaning of each word. Ending with a collaborative arts performance, the group strives to empower each student with a sense of confidence, and build a community among the students.
Not only will each member of our team find the confidence to lead within our communities, these students and artists will find new ideas of expression through music, theater, and dance.
By performing and teaching, we will verify the successes of having a sense of community and confidence through art. We will expose the students to new ideas and possibilities through the influence of our individual art forms.
Art is certainly not the only useful way to build community and share feelings, thoughts, and different cultures with each other, but it does provide an outlet we all experience in our daily lives. Whether we recognize art actively or not, it impacts us greatly and shapes the way we live, think, and feel, just as much as we shape it. Art is part of our heritage and is always a strong part of the core to our cultures.