Hoff-Barthelson Music School is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Kenniff as its new dean of programs, effective November 29, 2018. In this vital role, Chris will lead the ongoing development and delivery of the School’s comprehensive music education programs for students of all ages and at all levels of development.

“As I join HBMS, I am struck by the school’s comprehensive music programs; it’s reputation for rigorous, conservatory-style training; and it’s excellent, committed faculty,” said Kenniff. “I have long considered Hoff-Barthelson to be an aspirational model for its thoughtful approach to student placement, and the value the school places upon offering students an opportunity to ‘go deep’ at all levels of their training through ensembles, clubs, outreach programs, and musicianship training.”
 
Chris comes to Hoff-Barthelson having served for seven years as director of the Mason Gross School of the Arts Extension Division at Rutgers University. Under his leadership, the Division honed its mission and increased the breadth of programs offered to provide education for students from child and adult beginners to advanced students preparing to enter leading conservatories.

According to LAist, "More than 15,000 high school students in Los Angeles County dropped out of school in the 2016-2017 school year. And while Los Angeles Unified didn't publicly report an official dropout rate, it has been actively working to bring dropouts across the board under 10% by 2020. And the nation's largest school district is now trying a new focus on the arts to keep some struggling students in the classroom. That focus is what makes the Design and Media Arts Academy different from other schools also catering to students who don't make it in the traditional school system. The new academy—a partnership between LAUSD and an arts non-profit called artworxLA—requires eight hours of art classes each week."

"One of main things that I hear when I come here is laughter. I walk into a classroom and I see engagement. I see students who are interested in what they're doing, excited to be exploring," artworxLA former executive director Cynthia Campoy Brophy explained. "I see students who are working collaboratively."

Take a tour of the academy and learn more about the collaboration here.

Enchanted Circle Theater is honored to announce the receipt of a new three-year YouthReach grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The grant, which spans 2019-2021, will continue to fund YOUTH TRUTH, a creative youth development partnership between Enchanted Circle and the Treehouse Foundation HEROES Youth Leadership Project. Now in its 8^th year of programming, YOUTH TRUTH is a performance ensemble of youth, ages 14-24, who have experienced foster care and is one of the signature programs in Enchanted Circle’s Creative Youth Development work.

Enchanted Circle and the Treehouse Foundation began developing social innovation programs in 2007 to create sustainable change in the lives of young people by supporting positive youth development through the major life transitions into and out of high school.

YOUTH TRUTH Performance Ensemble provides access to theater training for trauma sensitive youth as a platform to promote healing and growth, build interpersonal communication skills, cultivate self-esteem and resilience, and provide opportunities to share their story. YOUTH TRUTH promotes truth and dispels myths about foster care and adoption from the youths’ perspective. The youth-created performances are a vehicle for community and civic engagement, raising awareness and advocating for positive policy changes in the complex world of child welfare.

The LAist highlights that more than 15,000 high school students in Los Angeles County dropped out of school in the 2016-2017 school year. The nation's largest school district is now trying a new focus on the arts to keep some struggling students in the classroom. The Design and Media Arts Academy — a partnership between LAUSD and artworxLA. — requires eight hours of art classes each week. Read more about this powerful response here. 

Stanford University highlights Chad Cooper, their School of Business alum, work. Two years ago, after a 16-year Wall Street career — and with the blessing of his wife, Claire Ellis, MBA ’02 — Chad Cooper, 45, walked away from his position as managing director at Deutsche Bank to become the executive director at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. In doing so, he willingly stepped off his chosen career path and into a subterranean office that doubles as instrument storage space in the conservatory’s five-story Victorian building. Read the full article. 

Mural Arts Philadelphia is set to hold Portraits of Justice, a daylong symposium that will engage the public in reimagining the criminal justice system through the lens of art, advocacy, and policy reform. A diverse and robust roster of directly impacted artists, practitioners, government officials, and scholars will host a series of discussions to reflect upon local reform efforts, as well as engaging with the national dialogue that highlights strategic arts-based approaches to criminal justice reform.

The symposium is the culmination of month-long programming, including a public art project, a new fellowship program, and a series of public performances. The work of Reimagining Reentry Fellow Luis Suave Gonzales will be on display.

Registration is free and open to the public. Complimentary lunch will be provided.

Learn more and register.

South Shore Conservatory (SSC) recently announced a new partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, anticipated to increase supportive programs for those living with dementia, their families and their friends, in South Shore communities.

Through its growing Creative Arts Therapies department, South Shore Conservatory has been a leader in providing dementia-specific arts programming on the South Shore. Joining together with the Alzheimer’s Association, a leader in supporting families in local communities assisting loved ones living with dementia, allows both organizations to offer increased support to thousands of families on the South Shore with a loved one diagnosed with dementia.

Learn more about South Shore and the Creative Arts Therapies department here.

The project to restore the August Wilson House, led Daisy Wilson Artist Community and headed by executive director Paul A. Ellis Jr., Mr. Wilson’s nephew, received a boost from actor Denzel Washington. In late September, Washington gifted $5 million to the project at a community ceremony, adding his name to a list of supporters that includes Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, Spike Lee, and Antoine Fuqua.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, during the ceremony, "Mr. Ellis revealed a new slogan -— “Claim What Is Yours” for the project, taken from his uncle’s words. Speaking about the way African-Americans see themselves and God, Mr. Wilson said, 'All over the world, nobody has a God who doesn't resemble them. Except black Americans. They can't even see they're worshipping someone else's God, because they want so badly to assimilate, to get the fruits of society. The message of America is 'Leave your Africanness outside the door.' My message is 'Claim what is yours.' "

Read the full article here.

For 2017-18 academic year, the UN Women’s HeForShe movement teamed with CalArts to produce 12 animated student films that highlight issues surrounding gender equality. Prominent world leaders, global CEOs, activists and celebrities joined forces to launch new global initiatives for gender equality at the 2018 United Nations HeForShe Impact Summit in New York City. 

Featured speakers included CalArts President Ravi Rajan. The Summit is a global call to action focusing on significant issues like accelerating women’s economic empowerment, ending gender-based violence, driving gender-balanced leadership and gender equality in Hollywood.

For a behind-the-scenes look at CalArts Animation, check out the trailer. 

The William Penn Foundation announced $9.4 million in new funding for 20 arts and cultural organizations, including numerous Guild members! These grants further the Foundation’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and creative Philadelphia through increased access to high-quality arts and cultural experiences by bringing programs directly into Philadelphia neighborhoods and schools.

Congratulations to our member organizations: ArtWell, Settlement Music School, Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Play On, Philly!

See the full list here.