Chatham Rabbits, The Bluegrass Experience, and Diali Cissokho all on one stage in the Chatham Beverage District?! Yep! Save the date for The Chatham Experience: Benefit Concert for Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative, on Sunday, September 29! This year’s event is a unique cross-generational fundraising concert, sponsored by Opus Financial Advisors, featuring musical performances by… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: Curriculum Come to Life in Two Chatham County Elementary Schools
History, math, science – sometimes everyday curriculum can be difficult to grasp for elementary school students. The concept seems unfamiliar or too far removed from everyday life to grasp. But when a student becomes an integral part of dissecting and reconstructing it in a different way, the ability to connect with curriculum concepts is more… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: The West African Kora Makes its Way to Three Chatham County Schools, Thanks to the Talented Diali Cissokho
This May, three Chatham County schools experienced an interactive performance of West African kora (a West African jumbo spike-lute with 22 strings made from fishing line), singing, and drumming with Diali Cissokho, as part of the Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative. Bennett K-8 School, Virginia Cross, and Perry Harrison Elementary students and teachers were called… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Residencies Bring Out the Inner Artists in Students at Two Chatham County Schools
Spanish dancing. It’s not the typical after-school activity for students at Moncure School or North Chatham Elementary. When Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana arrived at those two Chatham county schools this March as part of the Artists-in-Schools Initiative, Spanish dancing became THE ticket to eliciting smiles and big participation–and to unleashing the inner artist in students… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: JS Waters Students Open to New Experience with The Magic of African Rhythm
Just days before spring break, something magical happened at JS Waters School. Something that could make you forget where you were and transport you to another continent. You could hear African drums beating. You could see students dancing and creating visual art with Adinkra (symbols that represent concepts). You could listen intently to cultural storytelling…. Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: Mike Wiley Inspires Student Confidence in Two Chatham County Schools
In early January, nationally known theater artist, Mike Wiley, made his way to Siler City Elementary and Silk Hope School as part of the Chatham Arts Council’s Artists-in-Schools initiative. His goal was to weave literacy and history curricula into school-wide performances of Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart and classroom workshops. But what he accomplished, was… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: Hobey Ford Taps Puppetry and Digital Animation to Engage Students in Science Curriculum
Hobey Ford is a puppeteer known for excellence in puppetry performance and craft. But what made his June visit to Siler City Elementary even more notable was the way he incorporated puppets and digital animation to teach literacy and science concepts, resulting in a compelling story of animal migration. The students watched with amazement as… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: Diali Cissokho Brings West African Music to Chatham County Schools
The beat of an African drum is not something that every child is familiar with. But for West African musician Diali Cissokho (pronounced “Jelly”), the beat was an integral part of everyday life. “Before we had a phone, radio, or a TV in our village, we used the beat of the drum to let people… Read More →
Artists-in-Schools: EbzB Productions Helps Moncure School’s Fifth Graders Rewind to the 1700s
If you ever doubted that fifth graders could deliver a performance aimed to educate you on an historical time period – you would have been happily wrong this spring. In April, Moncure School’s fifth graders transported their audience of discerning school mates, parents, and faculty to the Revolutionary War in an original performance about Chatham… Read More →
Bringing Theatre Residencies to Chatham Elementary School Students
Imagine if Jackie Robinson, the all-star African-American baseball player, were still alive and able to share his first-hand account of how he pushed the color barrier in America. Would we see the courage in his gait? Hear the lilt of frustration in his voice? Some Chatham County students will have the opportunity to experience what… Read More →
