Our Projects
The Arts & Culture Initiative seeks to coordinate, strengthen and expand the network of arts and culture OST programming. Whether infusing arts into neighborhoods, creating partnerships to distribute arts supplies, developing curriculum or showcasing program providers' offerings for the Boston Public schools, the initiative works with a wide spectrum of organizations to cultivate and support efforts to build community and build the sector.
Infusing arts into neighborhood development
Hyde Park Arts Initiative (HPAI)
This community-based nonprofit network of local community organizations was created to revitalize the Hyde Park neighborhood by using the arts and its resident artists as catalysts for change. Other neighborhoods, particularly those on the outer perimeter of Boston, have been unable to attact and sustain arts programming. As a first step to developing an arts neighborhood model, HPAI is conduting neighborhood-wide dialogues with Hyde Park residents around how the arts can play a more significant role in community building and to support neighborhood-wide school arts programs for children and youth in Hyde Park. One of the actions that has come out of this effort is that HPAI is working with local artists to find afforable housing in the Hyde Park area.
Mattapan Cultural Art Development (MCAD)
MCAD was established in 2002 to develop the arts and cultural organizations in Mattapan. In June 2006, the City of Boston released the 'Mattapan Economic Development Agenda' (MEDA) which established an overall vision, an action agenda and an initial implementation plan for the revialization of Mattapan's commercial districts and surrounding neighborhoods. The major emphasis of MEDI is to stimulate great economic activity in a way that benefits Mattapan residents, property owners and businesses. As part of this effort, the Arts and Culture Initiaitive is working with the Mattapan Cultural Arts Development (MCAD) to develop a strategy to incorporate youth arts programs as part of a neighborhood development model for Mattapan.
Supplies and demands for the arts
Providers Arts Resource Center for OST Network Praticioners
Boston Beyond and Extras for Creative Learning (E.x.C.L.), a recycled materials distribution center for educators and artists, have partnered to create the Providers Arts Resource Center (P.A.R.C.) for OST network practitioners. E.x.C.L. recovers tons of materials from business and industry and redistributes for creative education use. P.A.R.C will serve as a distribution center for these bulk arts supplies for the OST network. Teachers, childcare providers, service providers, artists and families are able to obtain supplies for an affordable annual membership fee. P.A.R.C is planning to offer studio-related technical assistance and is the designated site for studio-related professional development for the network.
Curriculum development
Audio-Visual Specialist Pilot
In most neighborhoods, there exist community-based artists and organizations whose work is engaging, innovative and attractive to Boston’s children and youth. These same teaching artists are oftentimes unable to enter into a partnership with schools and after-school programs because they don’t have the necessary curriculum and evaluative tools necessary to validate the substance of their art.
This one year pilot project is a collaboration of three local community-based arts organizations and a curriculum development and audio/visual specialist team. These education specialists observe and collaborate with each youth art organization from September, 2006 through May, 2007 to document, interpret and design experiential arts curricula for each OST program. The curriculum will be developed in accordance with Boston's citywide arts standards and frameworks. The end products will include curriculum with assessment tools and a 20 minute visual portfolio highlighting the learning moments throughout the pilot. The organization participating in the pilot are: Riverside TheatreWorks, The Strand Youth Theater Group and U.S.E.S./The Children's Art Centre.
Connecting resources
Arts & Culture, Sports and Environmental Showcase
In 2006, the Arts and Culture Initiative speadheaded a showcase of program providers from the arts and culture, sports and environmental areas to 'showcase' their programs to Boston Public school administrators and staff. Two showcases have brought together 50 programs providers with 30 schools. The next showcase is planned for Spring '07.
