Opera Piccola

(Program Offered in Schools)

Program Name: ArtGate

Program Description: The ArtGate Artist-in-Residence program is based on a unique, youth-driven methodology that has been recognized by both the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts as a model in the field of arts education. The program has grown from a single drama residency to over 170 residencies in 2005-06 serving over 1,800 public school youth in grades K-12, with programs in Drama, Poetry/Spoken Word, Visual Art, Photography, Comic Book Art, Traditional Mexican Art, Music, and African and Hip-Hop Dance. Resident Artists lead weekly workshops for a semester in which students choose a theme and work with artists through research, discussion and artistic exploration to create art that is personally meaningful and holds resonance for the community it reaches. Our teaching artists are trained in youth development principles and bring an emphasis on teamwork, leadership and inclusiveness to their residencies. We combine art making with community building through public art projects such as murals, interschool collaborative performances, and youth performances in community spaces such as libraries and community centers. We provide additional opportunities for our long-term students such as professional performing opportunities and the community-service oriented Art Action Group, which has created arts service projects for youth with disabilities, children in foster care, and senior citizens. The program also includes a strong literacy component by including writing in all residencies, and this aspect of the program is based on State English/Language Arts standards. We also incorporate State Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards into our program. This program is particularly successful at inspiring at-risk, disengaged learners by providing activities that utilize alternative learning styles and methods of engagement. As a result of this success, we were asked to design a model arts-based learning program for chronically suspended youth in two Bay Area counties in 2004-05. We also provide extensive professional development for the classroom teachers with whom we work in our in-school residencies. We are providing training on arts-based teaching methods to the full teaching staff at several public schools in Oakland this year.

Target Populations:

Elementary (grades 3-5)

Middle

High

Program Type:

Art- Visual

Art- Music

Art- Dance

Art- Theater

Art- Cultural

Describe Weekend, Evening, Summer Services and Transportation Arrangements (if applicable):

We have a summer youth theatre program open to youth throughout Oakland. Our youth arts leadership group and performing internships also provide evening activities for participants.

Schools where program is currently offered: Allendale Elementary, Calvin Simmons Middle School, Carter Middle School, Claremont Middle School, East Oakland School of the Arts, Elmhurst Middle School, Emerson Elementary School, Fruitvale Elementary, Havenscourt Middle School, Lowell Middle School, Manzanita SEED Elementary, Markham Elementary, Maxwell Park Elementary, Best High School, Excel High School, Kizmet Middle School, Oakland Technical High School, Paul Robeson High School, Sankofa Academy, Santa Fe Elementary, Sobrante Park Elementary, Stonehurst Elementary

Geographic Areas Served (current):

District 1 (North Oakland- Rockridge, Temescal, Claremont)

District 3 (West Oakland/Downtown - West Oakland, Jack London)

District 4 (East Oakland - Dimond, Laurel, Montclair, Joaquin Miller)

District 5 (East Oakland - Fruitvale)

District 6 (East Oakland - Millsmont, Hillcrest, Leona Quarry)

District 7 (East Oakland - Coliseum)

Geographic Areas for Expanded Service:

Capacity to Deliver Services: We have a full-time staff of 4 to handle program management and administration. We have a staff of 30 teaching artists who are available to teach Drama, Poetry/Spoken Word, Visual Art, Photography, Comic Book Art, Traditional Mexican Art, Music, African, Hip-Hop, and Creative Dance, and Capoeira. Artists in several art forms are bilingual in Spanish.

Days per week: Monday through Friday

Hours per day: All in-school and after-school hours.

Student/Instructor Ratio: 10:1

Total number students (per school site): varies

To reach as many students as possible while maintaining program effectiveness, we aim to serve 7 to 15 students in each artist residency.

Contract Fee Schedule: Our standard one-semester after-school Residency fee is $1,250. This provides 16 weeks of instruction once a week at an average of 1.5 hours per week, a final performance or exhibit, a field trip for middle school and high school students, and meetings /coordination with administrative staff for planning and continued communication.

Instructor Cost/hour: $50/hr

Additional contacts (if different than provided in the organizational profile):

Name:

Email: info@opera-piccola.org

Telephone: (510) 658-0967 Fax: (510) 658-0927