Arts for Learning Massachusetts

09/26/2023

Calling artists to apply to "Belonging"

09/26/2023

Support the Downtown Vitality Act by endorsing the legislation, encouraging your elected officials to co-sponsor, and sharing with your networks.

09/14/2023

We’re looking for a Co-Director of Ops & Humans! ACI launched the co-director model in July 2021, and two years later we are so excited to continue expanding our learning, growth, work and team.

We're gearing up to add a new, full-time team member (30-40 hrs p/week) with the Co-Director of Ops & Humans*. Could this be you?!

Please help us spread the word! If this position speaks to you, please reach out! Job description link in our bio! Application review will begin on August 11, 2023.

*official title to be determined by incoming co-director.

09/14/2023

We love these snapshots of Nurtury's Moving-On Ceremony from August! Thank you for having us be a part of this very special day 💕

09/14/2023

Want to schedule a program with Arts for Learning MA, but you're not sure where to start?

This handy guide can help shed some light on the process of selecting and scheduling an enrichment program for your school or community!

08/08/2023

Catch Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band next week at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum! Let's hope it's not rainy like today 🙃

Concert at the deCordova next week - https://mailchi.mp/3425b01f5574/new-video-and-upcoming-performances-9390449

08/07/2023

Hi Barbie! This past month, our newsletter featured four varied, engaging, and talented arts educators: Alison O'Leary, Behind the Mask, Celtic Bells, and Grooversity.

Reach out to us directly or check out our website to learn more about them and all the wonderful artists (& Barbies & Kens) that we partner with!

https://artsforlearningma.org/index.php/artists

07/21/2023

Tonight!

Join us for an evening of live, local storytelling centered around farming, food, and forests, and a dessert potluck! Stories will be short - approximately 7-9 minutes in length. Confirmed storytellers include: Cathy Stanton, Dave Small, Nora Dooley, & Casey Simpson - with more to come! From 6:30 -....

07/21/2023

So happy and honored to be a partner of Horizons for Homeless Children! The work they do is vital to communities, families, and young people all across Massachusetts, and our partnership with them is just a small part of the care and resources they provide.

(I spy AFLMA Residency Program Manager, Kai'jeh Johnson, in pictures 3 & 4 👀)

07/12/2023

07/11/2023

07/03/2023

Does your school or educational center run summer programming? These AFLMA artists have multidisciplinary, sequential arts workshops that culminate in a final performance or project. Our program staff is happy to work with you to build a summer or school-year arts learning residency for the young people in your community. Learn more about our artists and contact us on our website! https://artsforlearningma.org/index.php/artists

06/30/2023

Repost from BAGLY

It doesn’t have to be Pride Month for you to support LGBTQIA+ youth in your community. BAGLY has been doing amazing work for Q***r people in Boston for YEARS, and you can donate to them here to keep this vital work going! https://www.bagly.org/donate
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Thanks to your love and support, q***r and trans youth from all over Massachusetts feel empowered, safe, and seen during a time when their rights are under attack. Thank you. Continue making them feel fearless by visiting www.bagly.org/donate and making a donation to BAGLY today.

06/18/2023

06/12/2023

We're so excited to welcome our newest AFLMA team member, Kai'jeh Johnson!

With a background as a talented teaching artist, conductor/composer, and vocal musician hailing from New York, Kaijeh is deeply committed to expanding the scope of music programming in educational settings. Kaijeh's focus lies in bringing the transformative power of art to urban communities, effectively utilizing his Opera performance/music education degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and his Master's in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

06/09/2023

If there is a new arts coordinator for your school or community, let us know! We can add them to our mailing list so they don't miss out on any Arts for Learning MA updates.

Did you know that you can apply for Local Cultural Council or Mass Cultural Council grants to fund an AFLMA program? Learn more about additional arts funding options on our website. https://artsforlearningma.org/index.php/programs/funding-opportunities

05/22/2023

We're so excited to welcome our newest AFLMA team member, Taylor Lena McTootle!

Boston-based educator, Taylor Lena McTootle, is thrilled to join the Arts for Learning MA team as Director of Arts Education. Taylor values self-expression and authenticity and believes that the arts are an integral tool in helping young people discover their purpose. Taylor is excited to provide expansive and diverse avenues of engagement to Arts for Learning partners and the young people they support. She enjoys dancing, seeing live music, reading, and connecting with nature, as well as arthouse cinema and writing.

05/02/2023

Russell Elementary School Multicultural Night: March 23, 2023

AFLMA teaching artist Akili Jamal Haynes engaged all 5th-grade students at William E Russell Elementary School in Dorchester in a 10-week Bucket Drumming residency from February–May 2023. This past March, students displayed their drumming skills at the all-school multicultural night. This opportunity is part of AFLMA's ongoing outreach in Boston schools through our Expanded Arts Access Program. The residency was partially supported by EdVestors' BPS Arts Expansion. What a fantastic night!!

04/10/2023

Thanks to our grant from Marlborough Cultural Council, we are able to offer another enrichment program for all students! Through Arts for Learning Massachusetts, Illstyle & Peace Productions will be performing "Hip Hop Promotes Positivity" for all students during the school day on April 10th.

Program Description: This high-energy variety-show-style assembly features jaw-dropping contemporary and old school Hip Hop dance moves interspersed with comedic sketches about getting through some of the challenges of school life by respecting peers, respecting teachers, and having the courage to speak out when necessary. In a fun, interactive concert, audiences will see how different skill sets can lead to equally impressive moves on the dance floor.
Marlborough Public Schools

04/03/2023

Each spring during , we’re reminded of the arts’ incredible ability to inspire and empower. Join us as we celebrate and advocate for the powerful impact of the arts on the education and development of our next generation of learners. There is still time to advocate for equitable access to by reaching out to your local policymakers! Click to find officials in your area: www.usa.gov/elected-officials

03/23/2023

We are so happy to share some big news! After 60 years, we're changing our name from Young Audiences of Massachusetts to Arts for Learning Massachusetts. Check out our newly revamped website at artsforlearningma.org.

Like many affiliates in the Young Audiences Arts for Learning network we are elevating Arts for Learning as it clearly communicates our work with schools, communities, and students who are actively engaged in and with the arts.

Thank you for being a part of our journey to serve young people in Massachusetts and beyond! Music composed by the fantastic Gonzalo Grau.

03/22/2023

From the great folks at MASSCreative:

"On March 1, the Healey Driscoll Administration released its inaugural state budget proposal which included $25 million for arts, culture, and creativity. This is a historic milestone: it is the largest amount ever recommended by a Massachusetts Governor.

The FY24 budget process now moves to the legislature, first in the House and then in the Senate. Let's share our support for $25 million in FY24 with House and Senate leadership. Below is a letter we will send to Speaker Marinao, Senate President Spilka, Chair Michlewitz and Chair Rodrigues expressing our support. Read out letter and add your name below."

On March 1, the Healey Driscoll Administration released its inaugural state budget proposal which included $25 million for arts, culture, and creativity. This is a historic milestone: it is the largest amount ever recommended by a Massachusetts Governor! The FY24 budget process now moves to the legi...

03/20/2023

Check out this amazing interview with The Fourth Wall's co-founder Greg Jukes! Woohoo!

Recently, I caught up with Greg Jukes, the co-founder of the Somerville-based musical performance group, The Fourth Wall, that explores a new hybrid of the performing arts in which musicians are also dancers and actors. According to Jukes, his group “stretches the boundaries of instrumental perfor...

03/17/2023

Come enjoy Young Audiences of Massachusetts Bio, Bio, Biodiversity - a performance by the Natural Science Song and Dance Man "Billy B."

Cove School Auditorium, Wed. March 22nd from 6:30-7:30pm
Please RSVP: http://evite.me/nbtFPGgT66

Billy B. uses science, humor, music, dance, and audience participation to introduce the wonder of our earth's biodiversity, why it is declining, and how we can help to protect it. Billy B. hopes to educate people of all ages about biodiversity by introducing issues such as pollution, deforestation, and overfishing and how other human behaviors affect the biodiversity of our earth.

Sponsored by Cove PTO STEM Committee
**If you need transportation to the event, please reach out to [email protected] and we can assist.**

03/17/2023

We're so happy to know and work with stellar teaching artist, artist, and person Jen Aldana !

03/09/2023

02/14/2023

YAMA is seeking a full-time Director of Arts Education to manage, develop, and evaluate our school & community residency partnerships with a diverse roster of artists. Learn more here: https://yamass.org/index.php/misc/join-our-team

To apply, Please send your resume, cover letter, salary requirement, and three references to Julie McConchie, Executive Director at [email protected]. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Thank you!

02/14/2023

repost from ’s class at Excel Academy Charter Schools in Eastie!
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Student final project for the first cohort of 'street art' ✨

pictured 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners 🏆

Grades 5-8.

02/11/2023

Ross students enjoyed a Young Audiences of Massachusetts ensemble, Illstyle & Peace Productions, present “Hip Hop Promotes Positivity” on Thursday sponsored by a grant from Braintree Cultural Council for the ARTS! Ask your students about the show! 👏🏻🎭 🎶

02/09/2023

Meet our new artist: Wojo! Wojo Womack is a multidisciplinary media artist whose heart and purpose lie with community support and development. He is a Columbia University Certified Master Teaching Artist with over 20 years of experience designing and implementing curricula he’s personally implemented in over 40 schools with each program spanning a school year. Through these experiences he has created the Dot Product Approach, a holistic teaching strategy whose philosophy based in practicality and efficacy, which he has disseminated in a series of workshops at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and countless NYC schools and CBO’s. His personal mission is to equip youth with the tools to create their own identity and become self-actualized. Rapport building, culturally responsive pedagogy, student centered learning, social emotional learning, collaborative learning, differentiated teaching, and cultivating an innovative mindset are the bedrock for an effective education process and every effort he makes is in the services of this foundation. Learn more about Wojo and his program 'The Film and Media Cooperative (FMC)': https://yamass.org/index.php/artists/wojo 🎬🎬🎬

02/08/2023

Straight from New Orleans, it's visiting artists Johnette and Scott! To learn more about and to schedule their program 'Swamp Romp', visit our website: https://yamass.org/index.php/artists/johnette-and-scott

Move the furniture and roll up the rug, it’s time to romp in the swamp and boogie on the bayou. Johnette and Scott’s Swamp Romp concert is a rollicking ride through Louisiana roots music from Cajun, zydeco, traditional jazz, Isleño, swamp pop and New Orleans rhythm and blues. Children and families are immersed in Louisiana culture, traditions, cuisine and dance through interactive songs about Mardi Gras king cakes, New Orleans po’ boy sandwiches, the Bamboula rhythm, Isleño oxcarts, and how to spell Mississippi River. Simple words in French and Spanish are introduced, with translations.

02/02/2023

Meet our new artist: Paper Heart Puppets! Paper Heart Puppets is dedicated to the magic of puppetry. Founder Bradford Shur has been performing for over 20 years with original shows for all ages as well as puppet building collaborations with clients as diverse as American Idol and Dolly Parton. Brad began performing as a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. While earning a degree in film, he was a regular performer at late night puppet slams and with Big Nazo Puppets. From there, Brad went on to tour nationally with Wood and String Puppet Theatre and Vermont Puppetree. In 2009, he became the Resident Artist at Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline, Massachusetts where he served as the lead teaching artist and touring puppeteer for eight years. During that time, Brad developed six original shows and revived several classic shows created by Paul Vincent Davis. In 2017, Brad left Puppet Showplace for Poughkeepsie, NY and founded Paper Heart Puppets. Learn more about Brad Shur, Paper Heart Puppets, and their incredible programs here: https://yamass.org/index.php/artists/paper-heart-puppets 🖍🖍🖍

02/01/2023

We're so excited that visiting artist George Capaccio will be in Massachusetts March 30-April 7! To learn more about and to book George's program, visit our website: https://yamass.org/index.php/artists/george-capaccio

Meet the man whose name has become synonymous with genius. Audiences will discover Einstein’s very human qualities and follow the trajectory of his life from a lowly patent clerk in a Swiss office to a world-renowned figure, learning of his insights into the nature of reality through interactive experiments.

01/30/2023

Repost! from our friends at Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS). Vote for RIBS by February 1 here: https://segreenhouse.org/npil-public-voting/?contest=video-detail&video_id=18761

Vote for Us! RIBS is participating in the 2022 Nonprofit Innovation Lab. Vote for our idea to help us win the $5,000 Public Choice Award. And don’t forget to tune in to hear our pitch for more seed funding on RI PBS.

01/27/2023

Storyteller, Nicolette Heavey presents Tricksters From Around the World! (Ages 4-10) . Registration required. Spaces are limited.

01/26/2023

A warm welcome back to one of our most popular ensembles from past years, Manguito! Manguito (Gonzalo Grau, Manolo Mairena, Ernesto Diaz, Irisley Luis Gómez, & Jesús Andujar) is a musical group that focuses equally in both "teaching and performing" the music of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Audiences are immersed into some of the most popular music styles of these marvelous islands. They learn about their culture, a little about their history, their influences, and how their music were born. Manguito’s show connects directly to a Latin heritage we all need to preserve, and keep passing to our younger generations. Learn more about Manguito and their program 'A Musical Journey through the Caribbean': https://yamass.org/index.php/artists/manguito 🎼🎼🎼

01/24/2023

01/09/2023

12/21/2022

In Our 60th Year We...

- Reached 127 communities in Massachusetts and New England
- Delivered 352 arts learning performances, workshops, residencies, and professional development for educators
- Worked with over 70 artists and ensembles
- Brought arts learning opportunities to 72,000 young people and their communities
- Delivered 34 residencies, including our Expanded Arts Access programs for under-resourced educational communities

Thank you for your commitment to educate, inspire and empower young people through the arts. Providing access to the rich educational opportunities inherent to arts learning for all young people is our shared responsibility. We are grateful for your partnership!

12/19/2022

Check out these amazing photos from Teaching Artist Ice Brown!
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A few flicks from my site visit on friday. Since 2021, I've been blessed with the opportunity to teach either 'STREET DANCE' and 'STREET ART' courses within the Boston Public schools.

Went over different ways of styling, designing a 'sneaker' and what makes it a GREAT shoe overall. Of course I had to give my PowerPoint lesson on the GREATEST to exist.....the REEBOK QUESTION and Allen Iverson ⁉️

We break down investment, entrepreneurship, designing without being an artist, how to 'copy' for inspiration and making it your own, and starting a brand, targeting audience/ who to design for just to name a few topics we go over in these classes.

Students range from grades 4 to 8th, street art and K1+, street dance

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