Young People's Concerts | Complimentary Tickets | Connecting Arts in Schools

The Connecting Arts-N-Schools series was designed to bring artists directly into the schools - connecting students, teachers, and schools with the performing arts in deep and meaningful ways, offering performances that both enhance the in-school curriculum, and introduce students to worlds they have never known.  Connecting Arts-N-Schools was begun in 2003 to bring cultural performing arts into our neighborhood schools. We began with five elementary and middle schools in West Philadelphia and reached nearly 600 children.  In our recently completed 5th season, the series expanded to 7,000 students in fifteen schools citywide.

This year, students in our partner schools were exposed to different cultures from around the world – take a look!

The Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society presented an introduction to Beijing Opera with traditional Chinese music, songs, dance and marital arts.

Sharon Katz & The Peace Train thrills audiences of all ages with the unstoppable beat and amazing harmonies of South African music and Dance.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Mann Center for the Performing Arts’ Education & Outreach Program is the region’s largest free education program serving more than 47,000 students this year.  By presenting twenty-eight school performances, we made it possible for thousands of students to experience the sights, sounds, and rhythms that celebrate the magic and richness of “live” performances – often for the very first time!  To deepen the educational experience, we presented a series of sixty-three dynamic participatory workshops. These workshops helped students (Grades PK –12) to comprehend, retain and learn more effectively by utilizing music, theater, and dance to underscore lessons in other core subjects.  These workshops also provided free transportation to all participants.  Our annual Young People’s Concert Series presented eight international performances by professional, emerging and young artists on our main stage.

With the completion of The Mann’s $15 million in capital renovations in 2007, the Field Education and Outreach Center was opened in the spring of 2007.  This new space enabled The Mann to expand our educational programs by providing a studio space for intimate workshops, lectures and demonstrations for area youth to interact with local and internationally renowned artists, and get engaged personally with the performing arts. In its first year The Mann brought nearly 3,000 youth to the new education center for ArtsTeach @ The Mann, our expanded educational programs, with 55 separate events over 6 programs including: Artist in Residency, Master Class, Meet the Artist, In Touch with Tiny Tots, Greenfield Treasures Series, and Connecting Arts @ the Center.


ArtsTeach @ The Mann

Meet the Artist
This series offered artistic career-bound students the opportunity to collaborate with professional artists during various workshops. These intimate sessions allowed students to interact with world-class artists and receive immediate feedback with lasting value toward furthering their aspirations of a professional career in the arts.

      

Artist in Residency
Selected orchestra and band members from the Girard Academic Music Program had the opportunity to experience the performing arts through close interaction with professional artists, Rodney Mack, principal trumpet with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and his Big Brass Band.  Mr. Mack created The Francis Johnson Project for this series, where, over four weeks, these students were stimulated by the life and times of a prolific musician, and were inspired and enlightened by amazing professional musicians.  Philadelphia-born Francis Johnson [1792-1844] was the first African-American bandmaster to tour Europe.  He was a renowned performer who composed more than three hundred scores.  At the conclusion of the residency, renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis conducted a master class with the students.   

       

Connecting Arts @ The Center
This series connected students and teachers directly with professional artists in participatory activities that enrich, educate, and entertain.  Participants were selected from public schools, the Philadelphia Department of Recreation and citywide summer camps.

      

Greenfield Performance Treasures
This series is an expansion of The Mann Center’s Young People’s Concert Series designed to connect the young participants directly to the scheduled performances and artists with pre-and-post concert demonstrations, lectures, and participatory activities.  Participants were selected by the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, citywide cultural arts centers and private summer camps.