Young Audiences Of Indiana Inc

TO DEVELOP THE POTENTIAL OF YOUNG PEOPLE AS CREATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE HUMAN BEINGS BY PROMOTING THE ARTS AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THEIR EDUCATION.

CONSOLIDATED PROGRAMMING: DURING THIS UNUSUAL YEAR, AFL PRODUCED A DIGITAL LIBRARY OF PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS, A RECORDED VERSION OF SOME OF THE ARTIST PROGRAMS IN THE CATALOGUE. WITH A SIMILAR INTENT AS A LIVE EXPERIENCE, THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE ARTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO STUDENTS IN K-6 AND STRIVE TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS' ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE ARTS, INCREASE INTEREST IN THE ARTS, IMPROVE INTEGRATION OF THE ARTS INTO A SCHOOL'S CURRICULUM AND INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS.

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING: IN OCTOBER 2020, AFL BECAME AN AFFILIATE OF WOLF TRAP INSTITUTE FOR EARLY LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS, THE NATIONAL LEADER IN ARTS INTEGRATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND THE FLAGSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAM OF WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION AND THE PERFORMING ARTS BASED IN VIENNA, VIRGINIA. SINCE BECOMING AN AFFILIATE, SIX LOCAL TEACHING ARTISTS HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE WOLF TRAP METHODOLOGY, CONSEQUENTLY LEADING VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON RESIDENCIES BETWEEN MARCH - DEC 2021. SIMILAR TO CONSOLIDATED PROGRAMMING, SOME PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS FOR THE PRESCHOOL AUDIENCE WERE EITHER PRE-RECORDED OR DELIVERED VIA LIVE STREAM BETWEEN JULY 2020 - JUNE 2021. IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING RESUMED IN AUGUST 2021.

SUMMER ENRICHMENT THROUGH THE ARTS IS AFL'S SUMMER OFFERING. PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUT NOT LIMITED TO SUMMER ADVANTAGE, ST. FLORIAN SUMMER CAMP, PIKE TOWNSHIP SUMMER PROGRAM, AND AYS. OFTEN AT THESE CAMPS, PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE MORNING FOCUSING ON LITERACY, MATH, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. AFL PROVIDES THE ENRICHMENT PERIOD IN THE AFTERNOONS FOCUSING ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND THE ARTS.

ART FORCE IS A TWO-WEEK SUMMER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT INTRODUCES TEENS TO THE ARTS AS POSSIBLE COLLEGIATE AND CAREER PATHS. THROUGH ARTFORCE, TEENS ARE EXPOSED TO LOCAL COLLEGES WHERE THEY PARTICIPATE IN STUDIO CLASSES, CONNECT WITH FACULTY AND STUDENTS, AND ENGAGE IN CAMPUS LIFE PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. THEY ALSO GAIN MARKETABLE SKILLS BY BUILDING PORTFOLIOS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF PROFESSIONAL, PRACTICING ARTISTS. THE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES ARE LED BY VETERAN TEACHING ARTISTS, WITH SPECIAL WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS PRESENTED BY COLLEGE FACULTY, VISITING ARTISTS, AND GUEST SPEAKERS. ARTFORCE GIVES TEENS OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN EXPERTISE IN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ART, NETWORK WITH LOCAL CREATIVES, AND BUILD THEIR CAPACITY AS YOUNG ART ACTIVISTS WHILE EARNING A STIPEND AND WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT WITH ARTS FOR LEARNING. IN ADDITION TO PROGRAMS TAKING PLACE DURING REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS, AFL ALSO PROVIDES PROGRAMS DURING AFTER-SCHOOL TIME. MOST OF THE ARTIST PROGRAMS IN THE CATALOGUE ARE FLEXIBLE TO FIT THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF AFTERSCHOOL PROVIDERS. SEVERAL OF AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING WERE DELIVERED VIA LIVE STREAM THIS YEAR. THESE INITIATIVES WERE SUSPENDED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, FRESH START AND 'THIRD SPACE'. FRESH START AIMS TO ENHANCE A SCHOOL'S SENSE OF PRIDE AND STRENGTHEN ITS CONNECTION TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY BY IMPROVING AN UNDERUSED LOCATION WITH PUBLIC ART INSPIRED BY STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT ENGAGES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSIST WITH OUTREACH EFFORTS AND ENCOURAGE WIDER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROJECT. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2015, ARTS FOR LEARNING HAS INSTALLED NINE FRESH START PROJECTS IN MARION, STARK JENNINGS, AND SHELBY COUNTIES. "THIRD SPACE" IS A PROJECT THAT TEMPORARILY DISRUPTS THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE INSTALLATION OF TRANSFORMATIVE WORKS OF ART CREATED BY ESTABLISHED LOCAL ARTISTS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SIX SCHOOLS IN THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AREA OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THIS INITIATIVE INTERJECTS ART NOT ONLY INTO THE PHYSICAL SPACE BUT ALSO INTO THE CURRICULUM. AT EACH SCHOOL, AN ARTWORK, CREATED BY AN ESTABLISHED LOCAL ARTIST, IS ON DISPLAY FOR ONE WEEK AND SERVE AS PROVOCATION FOR STUDENTS TO DISCOVER, UNCOVER, AND CONSTRUCT THEIR OWN MEANING. THE STUDENTS, GUIDED BY THEIR TEACHERS AND ARTS FOR LEARNING TEACHING ARTISTS, ARE CHALLENGED TO SEE NEW THINGS, FROM THE SPACE IN WHICH THE ARTWORK WAS SITED TO HOW LEARNING TYPICALLY OCCURS IN THE CLASSROOM, IN NEW WAYS AND TO REFLECT ON AND SHARE THEIR INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVES; THEY ARE INTRODUCED TO MUSEUM QUALITY ART THAT CAUSED THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXTRAORDINARY AND TO EXPERIENCE SURPRISE, WONDERMENT, AND CURIOSITY.