Programs

Students Take pART in the ARTs

Each year the arts council presents curriculum-related cultural arts performances for grades K through 12 throughout the county.  This program annually reaches more than 30,000 local school children and teachers.  The arts council works closely with the Cabarrus County and Kannapolis City schools and superintendents to carefully select programs based on artistic merit and curriculum fit.  Teachers are provided study guides that relate the performances to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.

Grades K-1

Roger Day, children's musician and songwriter

January 26-30, 2009

Back by popular demand, Roger Day will bring his interactive and energetic performance to children in grades K-1. In a sure-to-be-memorable performance by this winner of the prestigious “Parents Choice Award,” students will learn why “It's a No-No to Kiss a Rhino,” how “Helicopter Harry” got his helicopter hair and the recipe for a “Mosquito Burrito.” Children will be moving, dancing, singing along, jumping up, reaching up, pointing their fingers, wiggling their loose tooth and generally having a good time.

Grades 2-3

Theatre IV in The Boy Who Cried Wolf

November 18-21, 2008

Theatre IV delights audiences with a musical retelling of this timeless tale. Students and their teachers will follow “Boy” as he learns a life lesson about telling the truth and finds out that there are consequences for “crying wolf.” Theatre IV has been dedicated to the creation of professional, exciting and innovative theatrical performances for young audiences for over 30 years. Prominent and respected nationally, the actors of Theatre IV will perform live before over a half million children this year alone.

Grades 4-5

Open Dream Ensemble in The Red Planet

October 27-29, November 17, 2008

The year is 2158 and Earth's first community on Mars is three years old. Studio Broadcast Mars is bursting with excitement about the action-packed program which will soon be transmitted to Earth for the very first time. When complications develop, head broadcaster Pete Flick must think on his feet and use his knowledge of Earth's broadcast history to ensure that the show will go on. The Open Dream Ensemble is an inventive multidisciplinary performing company composed of professional artists trained in dance, drama, music, design and filmmaking at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Grade 6 and High Schools

Glenis Redmond, performance poet

December 1-5, 8-9, 2008

When Glenis Redmond performs audiences are brought to their feet by her grace, intensity and passion as she brings poetry to life. Her art form has taken her across the globe and generated critical acclaim in locations as diverse as London, Haiti, New York and California. She has gained special renown and recognition for sharing her gift of words in her native South. Ms. Redmond is included on the Kennedy Center's Partnership in Education Teacher Training roster. A nominee for poet laureate of North Carolina, she was also named the Southeast Regional Individual Poetry Slam Champion in 1997 and 1998.

Grade 7

Khac Chi, Sounds of Vietnam

March 16-19, 2009

Showcasing rare and unique musical instruments made of bamboo by the mountain people of Vietnam, Khac Chi brings to its audiences a rare insight into the wealth and sophistication of Vietnamese culture. This husband and wife team was Vietnam's leading ensemble before immigrating to Canada in 1992. Incorporating lighthearted humor and audience participation into their show, the musicians of Khac Chi offer intriguing glimpses into the rich musical traditions of Vietnam and its 4,000-year history. Students will enjoy a dynamic performance that ties into their social studies curriculum.

Grade 8

EbzB's The Wrights of Passage

April 7-8, 2009

Originally commissioned by the North Carolina Association of Educators, this drama celebrates the first 100 years of flight. Speaking the Wrights' own words and dressed in period costumes, professional actors portray the brothers with enthusiasm and vigor. Wilbur and Orville Wright actually construct a replica of the famous flyer on stage while revealing their biographies and reliving their influences, discoveries, failures, achievements and successes. This living history lesson relates perfectly to the eighth grade social studies emphasis on North Carolina.

Artist Residencies

Students in local schools are able to experience in-depth arts-in-education through artist residencies. In these intensive programs, an artist works with small groups of students for several days. Elementary school students have learned dance and Spanish culture via residencies conducted by the Latin Ballet of Virginia, and middle school students experienced poetry with poet and author Phillip Shabazz. The arts council is available to help schools select and schedule residencies for their student body.

Art Enrichment

Students in local elementary schools learn about great works of art through the Art Enrichment program. Volunteers conduct short lessons in classrooms all across Cabarrus County using poster-sized reproductions and sculptures from the arts council's collection. The works cover many subject areas and periods in history. Orientation programs for new volunteers are held each fall. The Art Enrichment program works as a wonderful supplement to the children's classroom experience and introduces children to famous works of art that they might never see otherwise. Volunteers often relate the art to the classroom curriculum, such as color and shape in kindergarten, North Carolina history in the higher grades and special presentations during Black History Month.

Gallery Tours

The Arts Council Galleries welcomes tour groups from schools and the community. Tours can be tailored to specific age groups or artistic themes and may also include information about the architecture of the 1876 courthouse. Each exhibition has a scavenger hunt to help younger students learn about the art.

Gallery Talks

The Arts Council Galleries regularly sponsors lectures and demonstrations by exhibiting artists as well as academicians, architects and other experts in conjunction with its exhibitions. These events often are co-sponsored by the Cabarrus Art Guild.