Does your idea of art in school involve making leaf impressions with crayons and white paper? Gluing popsicle sticks together to make picture frames? Our Artists-in-Schools Initiative is here to change all that.
Since 2015, CAC has brought professional teaching artists into schools to support math, science, language, and history curricula. Through interactive, engaging workshops taught by nationally acclaimed theatre artists, performance artists, dancers, poets, Grammy-nominated musicians, African drummers, and Emmy-winning digital music artists, students have unique opportunities to experience new outlets for emotional expression and new pathways for learning.
Through artistic immersion, the program helps foster a personal connection for students to a variety of academic lessons. What does this look like?
- Learning and reinforcing math principles, like fractions, through dance choreography;
- Science and history lessons are investigated with clever raps about topics such as the Revolutionary War and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity;
- Exploring math through music and rhythm; or
- Learning various writing styles and methods through multiple poetry forms.
Creating New Outlets for Emotional Expression
Mental health is taking a more prominent role in our national conversation, especially when it comes to children. Right here in Chatham County, the Chatham Health Alliance tells us that one-third of adults in the county have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety. But more concerning is this: 26.1 % of Chatham middle school students say they’ve seriously thought about suicide, 13.6% of them have at some point attempted to take their own lives. That’s 1 in 7 middle school children in our community.
Studies from around the world show that engaging in the arts can help boost confidence, make kids feel more engaged, more resilient. While experts suspect that 50% of the world’s population struggles with mental health issues by the time they’re 40, research shows that art can relieve anxiety, depression, and stress.
The benefits of arts engagement don’t end with lower cortisol levels. Did you know that students involved in the arts are:
- Four times as likely to be recognized for academic achievement;
- Four times more likely to participate in a math or science fair;
- Three times more likely to be elected to class office?
Support this vital Artists-in-Schools Initiative!
We have an ambitious goal to be in all twenty-two public schools in Chatham County. We’re on track to make Chatham the first county in the state to do that! Our program is unique in that we never ask teacher, principals, or administrators to find funding to participate. We fully fund each residency with support from individual donors and local business, as well as through our partnerships with NC Arts Council and Chatham County. You can help by giving today! There are a number of opportunities for sponsorship and individual giving.
Artists-in-Schools is made possible through partnerships with Chatham County, Chatham County Schools, and North Carolina Arts Council.
All photos by Andrea Akin.
Recent Artists-in-Schools Stories
Beats, Bass, Big Vibes: Beatmaking Magic - It started with silence. The kind of silence that hums with curiosity and anticipation. Then—boom—the bass dropped. Heads started nodding. Feet tapped. A few eyebrows lifted.Just like that, creativity had a new rhythm at Moncure School and Chatham Early College, where artists Suzi Analogue and REM from Blackspace turned ordinary classrooms into music studios for a week of beatmaking magic.
From Mumbai to Senegal: A Journey in Dance, Drums, and Heart - What do you get when your week starts in India and ends in Africa? At Bonlee and Bennett Schools, the answer was rhythm, laughter, a few sore muscles, a whole lot of learning–(and perhaps a bit of jetlag!).
From October 13–17, students traveled across continents over 6,000 miles—without ever leaving their school floors—through a two-part artist residency that began with Priya Chellani of Indigo Dance and wrapped up with Diali Cissokho, a master drummer and storyteller from Senegal.
¡Olé, Chatham! A Flamenco Celebration at Perry Harrison and Silk Hope - If you wandered into Perry Harrison or Silk Hope schools between October 20 and 22, you might have heard it first—a rhythmic tap, a guitar string hum, a voice lifting in song, and then… the magic of Flamenco. Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana brought a swirl of sound, color, and culture to fifth- and seventh-grade students as part of the Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools program.
History Steps on Stage: When One Man Becomes Fifteen - Our Northwood and Seaforth tenth-graders saw a performance–and they also what happens when storytelling meets history. Because in Mike Wiley’s hands, history doesn’t feel far away at all. It’s standing right there, center stage in front of you.
Check Out the 2025-26 Artists-in-Schools Season Lineup! - Do you remember the first time something a teacher said to you “clicked?” That moment when you finally understood the difference between a metaphor and a simile? That’s what the... Read More →
Diali Cissokho Drums and Dances with Seventh-Graders at George Moses Horton Middle - “Diali is truly remarkable with the kids!” said a Bonlee custodian who watched the workshops and performance. “He makes me want to have this kind of joy every day."
Black Box Dance Theatre Collaborates with the Chatham Middle “Ram-ily” - This February, seventh-graders at Chatham Middle experienced a Chatham Artists-in-Schools dance residency with the artists of Black Box Dance Theatre–and it was linked with math concepts, too! Made possible by... Read More →
EbzB Productions Enhances EL Science & Writing Curriculum at Pittsboro Elementary - In January, Pittsboro Elementary School’s fourth-graders transformed into lively springboks, fierce opossums, armored armadillos, and gentle monarch butterflies under the excellent tutelage of actors Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen... Read More →
Poet Phillip Shabazz Visits Silk Hope School - Creative words warmed up a chilly week at Silk Hope School as Phillip Shabazz conducted his Powers of Poetry residency with fifth- and seventh-graders. “Art is an opportunity to express... Read More →
Bennett School Explores African Art with The Magic of African Rhythm - An African arts extravaganza arrived at Bennett School this past December. For two days, fifth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students traveled on a journey through Africa by dancing, drumming, storytelling, and... Read More →
Mike Wiley Brings Theatre and Writing to Siler City and Virginia Cross - Siler City Elementary (SCE) and Virginia Cross Elementary (VCE) students and teachers enjoyed actor and playwright Mike Wiley’s solo performance of “One Noble Journey” this past November. In addition to... Read More →
Music Production and Poetry at Bonlee School - “The assembly, as a whole, created a moment of unity and positivity for everyone, and students' musical creations were the spark for that experience,” shared AIG Teacher, Mark Spring.
Flourishing with Flamenco at North Chatham and Pollard Middle - This October, the tenth year of the Artists-in-Schools program initiative in Chatham County Schools, began with a flourish of Flamenco, led by four multi-talented artists from the Durham-based Flamenco Vivo... Read More →
Stories from the 2023/24 Artists-in-Schools Season - We were thrilled to bring professional teaching artists into 12 schools across Chatham County in our 2023-24 Artists-in-Schools season. You can read all about the joy these residencies bring to... Read More →
Artists-in-Schools 2024/25 Season - Artists-in-Schools (AIS) is ten years old! And we’re celebrating by expanding into all places Chatham! We know the arts save lives, so we’re thrilled to continue bringing professional teaching artists... Read More →