I recently received this press release at Carolina Arts. If you’ve been wondering what the Charleston Arts Coalition has been up to for such a long silence – here it is. Click on their name to see their new redesigned website.
Here it is:
Is it okay to clap every time the symphony stops playing? Making an “art faux pas” may be intimidating for young adults, attending their first symphony. That’s why the South Carolina Arts Commission is teaming up with Charleston Arts Coalition to present the Charleston Road Show. This already successful program that launched some years ago in Columbia, SC, will give a behind-the-scenes look at what’s involved in creating and presenting art for the stage, screen and wall to 20 Charleston residents, aged 23-39.
Participating organizations include Redux Contemporary Art Center, PURE Theatre, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Chamber Music Charleston and Charleston Symphony Orchestra. New Audience Road Show members will visit each of the participating arts organizations three times. During the first two visits, participants will learn about the art form, from the basics of musical composition to the mood-altering effects of stage lighting and the production of a visual art show. Participants will talk with artists, staff, and board members, try their hand at each art form and take backstage tours. The third visit will include a performance or opening, and each “Roadie”, will be encouraged to invite friends and share what they’ve learned.
“This program gives the ‘Roadies’ the confidence to take their relationship with art to the next level,” says Stacy Huggins, program coordinator for Charleston.
The participating art organizations get a chance to listen more closely and design programs and experiences that really welcome the young and eager audiences in the community.
“The most shocking thing that we learned from the Road Show was that there was a certain intimidation factor for those young audiences with no previous art experience to even come into the building,” says Leslie Pierce of the Columbia Museum of Art. “It made us rethink what we were doing, made us look at the museum with fresh eyes and approach it in a different way that we have not done before,” continues Pierce.
The Charleston Road Show is based on the SCAC’s pilot program New Audience Road Show that is now in its third season. Through participation grants, the SCAC, Charleston Arts Coalition and Charleston Road Show aim to increase knowledge of local arts organizations and young adult participation and patronage in them. Each organization was carefully selected based on their commitment to making quality experiences for the “Roadies”.
Charleston-area residents ages 23-39 are invited to apply for the Road Show, which runs from Sept. 2010 to May 2011. Applications are available online by visiting (www.CharlestonArtsCoalition.com); application deadline is Aug. 26, 2010. There is a nominal fee of $25.
For further information contact Stacy Huggins by calling 843/364-8333 or e-mailing to (charlestonroadshow@hotmail.com). More information is also available on the Road Show’s Facebook page.
Charleston Arts Coalition provides a forum and virtual gateway for creative individuals, organizations and businesses to collaborate on projects, exchange ideas, host special events and promote creativity. The CAC is open to anyone and everyone who wants to be involved. Major projects include (www.CharlestonCulture.com), a website free and open to all people, where artists of all disciplines can create profiles, post events, discuss issues and connect with others in the community, and the Charleston Road Show.
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission focuses on increasing public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com) or call 803/734-8696.
