Afro-Caribbean Exploration through the Arts

Posted by on May 21, 2004

Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership
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Afro-Caribbean Exploration through the Arts
July 14 – 16, 2004

Wednesday, July 14
Participants will spend the day at the Asociacion De Musicos Latino Americanos (AMLA). In the morning musician Marlon Simon will introduce workshop participants to a music notation system that effectively teaches Latin Rhythms on percussion instruments for students of all ages. Instruments will be provided to participants for a hands-on learning experience. Participants will be introduced to various Latin dances and rhythms in the afternoon workshop with AMLA?s teaching artists. This workshop will explore traditional dance forms as well as popular social dances. Workshop attendees should be prepared to move as they will learn various dances through active participation and multi-media presentations.

Thursday, July 15
The Fabric Workshop and Museum, one of Philadelphia?s hidden gems, (FWM) addresses contemporary art from conception through production, presentation, education, publication, and preservation. The morning at FWM will begin with a tour of the exhibitions of Kara Walker, David Hammons, and Sharon Lockhart along with the FWM?s permanent collection, and a behind-the-scenes look into the FWM?s extensive project archives. The morning will culminate in a workshop participants producing a collaborative silkscreen. Education Coordinator Blake Bradford will lead the program with the assistance of the studio staff and apprentices. The afternoon workshop, at the African American Museum of Philadelphia, will explore various themes of the African Diaspora experience and the contradictions between freedom and slavery in American society. This workshop will include tours of the exhibitions ?Lest We Forget: Glorious Legacies of our African Past,? ?Exploring Africa,? and ?Haitian Revolution: Celebrating the First Black Republic.? Topics of discussion will focus on the African experience from capture on the continent of Africa, the one way journey across the Atlantic during the European international slave trade, its impact on the continent of Africa and African forms of resistance to slavery. A special emphasis will be placed on the use of documents, art, music, film and 3-dimensional objects as learning tools for students.

Friday, July 16
Participants will spend the morning in an art-based horticultural workshop for teachers at the Norris Square gardens. This information will help teachers design classroom projects to prepare students to enter the Kids Grow Expo, a horticultural exhibition by and for school-age children in the greater Philadelphia region sponsored by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The Kids Grow Expo is an education project that creates an awareness of horticulture and the natural environment and encourages the active participation of youth in growing, gardening, and related activities. This workshop will include discussion and participation in environmental enrichment themes such as seed starting, and growing plants in the classroom. Participants will tour Norris Square gardens, representative of the diverse Puerto Rican culture and heritage.

For more info, and to register, visit the PAEP website at: http://www.paep.net