Like a New Orleans big band on the move, members of John Brown’s Little Big Band sauntered down the aisles of Jordan-Matthews High School—horns up, energy high—playing a jazzy rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” You could feel it immediately: surprise, curiosity, a few wide eyes—and then smiles. For some students from Chatham… Read More →
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.
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.
¡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.
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.
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 CAC’s Artists-in-Schools Initiative is all about. By bringing professional artists into Chatham County schools, artists leverage the arts through interactive workshops that support teachers’ learning… 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 the cARTwheels funding through the NC Arts Council and private sponsorship through Carolina Credit Union Foundation, the week-long visit included dance workshops with students–and also… 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 of Ebzb Productions. Serena and David used learning tools from the dramatic arts to develop child-generated choose-your-own-adventure scenes, integrating concepts from the students’ current science… 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 yourself.” –Mr. Shabazz Mr. Shabazz shared some of his own work, the words of others, and then let the students know that they would explore,… Read More →
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