It’s not hard to understand why Diali (pronounced Jelly) Cissokho is one of the most memorable teaching artists we have here in Chatham. With his brilliantly colored dashiki, booming voice, and 30 drums in tow, he is a commanding presence in the classroom. But Diali didn’t come to Chatham Grove Elementary just to teach drumming…. Read More →

Most kids think of jazz as “old-people music,” if they think of it at all. Thanks to Artists-in-Schools, the students at Willow Oak and Bonlee School learned there’s a lot more to it! Grammy-nominated jazz bassist John Brown and his quartet treated kids at both schools to a private concert. Believe us when we tell… Read More →

You expect a company called Black Box Dance Theatre to know a lot about dance. But they know a lot of other stuff, too! Perfect example–when they arrived at Silk Hope Elementary for the first day of their two-day Artists-in-Schools residency, they learned from the kids that the current topic of study that week was… Read More →

The ongoing pandemic has had masks at the top of nearly everyone’s mind, including teaching artist Serena Ebhardt of EbzB Productions. “During the height of masking for the pandemic, I started thinking how cool it would be to create a workshop around the history of masks and all their different uses through time, from drama… Read More →

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana is no stranger to our Artists-in-Schools program. This season, we were thrilled to bring them into three Chatham County schools to teach the art and history of the Spanish flamenco dance. Bringing over 35 years of arts education experience, the Flamenco Vivo residency is a unique and immersive experience for Chatham… Read More →

It’s Monday morning, and there’s a lot of energy in the room. Artists-in-Schools artist Mike Wiley is about to perform his play Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart for the second time in a day, but more importantly, this is the first assembly for North Chatham Elementary in two years. The kids are excited, the teachers… Read More →

The ongoing pandemic has impacted everyone, but maybe kids most of all–so many months of not being in school, not interacting with friends in person, and just not being able to engage in the world as kids, in general. Now they’re back in classrooms, and the 2021-22 school year is bringing us all hope. Here… Read More →