________________________________________ Visiting Teaching Artist Residency Catalogue
2017
A guide to residencies and opportunities to engage locally with cultural arts education at LEAF Community Arts (LEAF).
REVISED 2/21/17
a warm invitation from us at leaf...
Twice a year, LEAF invites performing artists from around the globe to lead Visiting Teaching Artist Residencies with elementary, middle, and/or high school students in the Asheville/Western NC area. It is an opportunity for youth to take the next step toward becoming global citizens. The Asheville community has always been amazing working with this program, but we want to EXPAND deeper into the community. I am hoping, with your help, this amazing program will be able to be offered to more schools. LEAF Visiting Teaching Artist residencies consist of the following: • A 3-5 day residency hosted in a local school and/or community center for school age children.Session can last from 1 1/2 to 3 hours a day depending on the school, age of group and availability of space. • Visiting Teaching Artists are carefully selected by a committee comprised of the Performing Arts Director, Executive Driector, Development Director and Cultural Arts team at LEAF. These individuals are typically national and internationally touring acts who have a deep interest to engage youth in music and arts. • Each student gets the opportunity to be treated like a rockstar with two free guest passes for the day of their performance, a goodie bag from French Broad Food Co-op full of snacks, a cool LEAF t-shirt, food perks and access to the performer lounge. • The opportunity for youth to truly become global citizens and artistic leaders by working with role models of different cultures and see beyond right now into the possibility for the future. Would you like to work together on this? Because if you’re ready, LEAF can meet you halfway. I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve our rising generations of leaders together. Cortina J. Caldwell LEAF Community Relations Director
HOW TO USE THIS CATALOGUE As you flip through this document, please note that while the Spring 2017 Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) residency opportunities are clear, the Summer 2017 and Fall 2017 are projections and still in process of being confirmed. If interested in a residency later in the year, please let us know so we can communicate that to the incoming artist and potentially move the artist confirmation process along a bit faster. Thanks in advance!
bring cultural arts to a school near you!
- Step 1 - Attend a local LEAF event for an in-person experience of the work. - Step 2 - Strike up a conversation with a member of the LEAF team to inquire deeper about what we do. - Step 3 - Express interest to a local school, community center or other host. Secure funding and draft goals. - Step 4 - Complete Booking Form to secure the Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) program of your choice. - Step 5 - Have follow-up conversation with member of LEAF’s Cultural Arts team to confirm program. - Step 6 - Complete Booking Form to secure the Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) program of your choice. - Step 7 - Work with LEAF to craft an invitation/permission letter to parents. Announce news to school/center. - Step 8 - Host an amazing program, in partnership with LEAF, to local youth that they’ll remember for a lifetime!
leaf - on stage & in the community! MISSION
theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]
LEAF Community Arts is a non-profit organization, building community, connecting cultures and enriching lives through the arts – locally and globally – with festivals, community events, and arts education programs.
VALUES Being Mission-Driven • Integrity • Openness, • “You Got This” Positive Attitude • Collaboration • Equity
CULTURAL ARTS EDUCATION LEAF Schools & Streets cultural arts programs use the arts to bridge cultures and create life-affirming, community building experiences – empowering our youth to become global citizens, leaders and agents of positive change. LEAF International is dedicated to cultural preservation, exchange, and fostering global citizenship. LEAF collaborate with communities to support Culture Keepers who teach local youth their traditional arts.
SIGNATURE EVENTS LEAF Festival is LEAF’s founding event. For over 20 years, an inter-generational community gathers at Lake Eden for a dynamic experience of music, art and culture for around the globe. #1 Festival for Kids, Music & Camping in Western NC. LEAF Downtown celebrates creativity, diversity and families in the heart of Asheville, NC. This signature and inclusive community event encourages interpersonal exchange, cultural awareness, artistic excellence and welcoming spaces for all walks of life. Regarding work with youth, LEAF uses the Developmental Assets as measurement tools for success in the LEAF Schools & Streets programs. In addition to maintaining that measurement system, LEAF seeks to define a holistic approach to learning, engagement and development of various kinds for Teaching Artists, Cultural Keepers, Festival contributors, parents, community partners and school administrators.
What are the Developmental Assets? LEAF’s cultural arts education program goals, curriculum, teacher & student evaluations are aligned with the Developmental Assets Profile, developed by the Search Institute. The Search Institute has identified 40 assets which comprise a set of skills, experiences, relationships, and behaviors that enable young people to develop into successful and contributing adults. Building these assets prepare youth for success in some type of college or education, a career, and citizenship. LEAF has identified 6 assets that exemplify the types of skills our programs help to develop in our students. These are: Community Values Youth, Adult Role Models, Creative Activities, Cultural Competence, Personal Power, & Self-Esteem.
spring 2017 Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) Residencies: theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]
bring cultural arts to your kids! two easy options to experience: option 1A. spring | Week of May 8, 2017 bomba, beats & happy feet BOOKED! who: Plena Libre | genre: puerto rican salsa & Plena 3 day residency | grade focus: 3-9 | cost: $700
National Geographic has recognized Plena Libre as one of four Puerto Rican musical acts, along with Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez, that are "spearheading the Latin invasion of American popular music”. Plena Libre have received multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. The group received their first Latin Grammy nomination, in the category “Best Tropical Traditional Album”, for their 2001 recording Mas Libre. The nomination represented the first nomination for a Puerto Rican group in the category. In this foot-stomping and toe-tapping artist residency, students have the opportunity to learn traditional Latin American dance, song and instruments that make the unique sounds hailing from Puerto Rica and influencing the world.
sounds of ghana who: rocky dawuni | genre: ghanian reggae 3 day residency | grade focus: 4-12 | cost: $750 (REDUCED!) Rocky Dawuni is a GRAMMY nominated Ghanaian singer and songwriter who performs his signature 'Afro Roots' sound which is a mixture of Reggae, Afrobeat, Highlife and soul music. He currently lives between Ghana and Los Angeles.A galvanizing performer, Dawuni has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Jason Mraz, Janelle Monae and John Legend, among many others. Named one of Africa’s Top 10 global stars by CNN, he has showcased his talent at prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In this captivating 3-day residency, students will learn about afro-roots music hailing from Ghana while cultivating a strong sense of global awareness and truly see how music can be used to spark movements for social change.
Heartfelt country & soul who: underhill rose | genre: folk & americana 5 day residency | GRade focus: 3-12 | cost: $750 (REDUCED!)
Underhill Rose blends aspects of Americana, rhythm and blues, country and bluegrass into an authentic sound that is all their own. Playing banjo and harmonica, guitar, and upright bass, these female troubadours emphasize original songs and three-part harmonies. During this residency led by all three women, youth will learn about the culturally diverse musical heritage that we share in North Carolina by focusing on two local musicians, “Doc” Watson and Elizabeth Cotton. For the LEAF audience, students will tell the stories of these two musicians' lives using narration and by performing one song by each musician (“Freight Train” and “Crawdad Song.”) Through compare and contrast, students will draw parallels between Watson and Cotton’s lives while exploring their unique cultural backgrounds and musical styles.
Spring 2017 Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) Residencies: theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]
the beat of your own drum BOOKED! who: darrell rose | genre: african drum 5 day residency | grade focus: K-12 | cost: $850
Darrell Rose, percussionist, painter, and Charlottesville institution, has played music in many configurations with both Michael and Houston. Darrell did many gigs with Soko and Offering in the early 90s and provided the cover painting for the band's most successful recording. Areas of the painting now color the Sokoband logo on the eponymous CD. Darrell is renowned for teaching many thousands of children over a long career as an adjunct to a long list of public and private schools in Virginia. As a drummer, he is an Artist in Residence for the Virginia Commission for the Arts and performs in many rock, jazz, african, latin, and reggae configurations. A longtime Visiting Teaching Artist and beloved friend to LEAF, Darrell Rose brings a newfound curiosity and undeniable captivation to the drum for students of all ages. This is an action-packed 5-day residency not to miss out on!
BOOKED!
TRADITIONAL SOUNDS & DANCES OF MALAWI
who: masankho banda | genre: malawian song, dance & storytelling
5 day residency | grade focus: K-12 | cost (Updated): $900 This exciting 5-day interactive residency learning from Masankho Banda, a multi-disciplinary Performing Artist, InterPlay Leader, Spiritual Healer, and Peace Builder from Malawi, Central Africa. Masankho learned to dance and tell stories in his country growing up as a child. His Elders also taught him about gratitude, healing and subtle energy. In this residency in line with the theme of the festival Masankho will focus on the importance and power of gratitude in Malawian culture specifically and African culture in general. The students will learn songs and dances of gratitude from Malawi, Nigeria, Zimbabwe & South Africa. The focus will be gratitude for our ancestors, gratitude for things of nature, gratitude for love and for friendship. Masankho brings this learning to all his presentations and classes. Masankho is the recipient of the “Unsung Heroes of Compassion” Award awarded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in May, 2001.
funk & fusion from east africa BOOKED! who: mokoomba | genre: zimbabwe afro-fusion 3 day residency | grade focus: 3-9 | cost: $900
Mokoomba is a 6 piece band that plays a unique blend of Tonga and Luvale traditional rhythms fused with dashes of funk, ska and soukous. Hailing from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the band has toured over 50 countries around the world and has won a few awards as well as appearing on Later with Jools Holland. In this dynamic 3-day residency, students will be exposed to a new blend of raw afro-fusion energy that is setting dancefloors ablaze throughout the world. This unique bridge from cultural tradition to today’s times will help teach relevancy in music and arts over the years, a form of creative resiliency all its own.
Spring 2017 Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) Residencies: theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]
sounds of havana who: danay suarez | genre: Afro-cuban jazz & hip-hop 3 day residency | grade focus: 6-12 | cost: $750 BOOKED!
Danay Suarez connects the traditional sounds and styles of Cuba with Hip-Hop, Reggae, Jazz and Dub-Step. Her career as a solo artist and her collaborations as part of Havana Cultura have taken her to international stages where she has participated in shows in Paris, Sete, Manchester, Londres, Amsterdam, Turquia, Valencia, Barcelona, Toronto, Leeds, Israel, Brazil and the United States. During this captivating 5 day residency, students will learn about Cuban music traditions and Cuban culture as well as how they have influenced and inspired Danay’s artistic journey and musical style. Students will learn to play and experiment in these genres as they engage in self-expression in new and exciting ways. This residency is ideal for a music program or music class.
musical traditions of rwanda & tanzania who: leaf international rwanda & tanzania exchange 5 day residency | grade focus: 7-12 | cost: $1,500 This residency features experienced LEAF International students from Rwanda and Tanzania to introduce young students to the rich music and dance traditions of Eastern Africa. By focusing on more than one cultural tradition, students will learn about the great diversity throughout Eastern Africa. Students will learn basic Rwandan dance, a tradition deeply embedded in the cultural interplay between African continuity, rhythm, and acts of positive resistance that challenged oppression. Hopping across cultures, students will also learn Tanzanian song and dance using both traditional and modern-day instruments. This residency will also provide the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to get to know young individuals from Rwanda and Tanzania! Through this cultural exchange, students will be invited to cultivate cross-cultural understanding and a sense of global citizenship.
research available upon request for school grants that could be used to fund programs such as these! Inquire with culturalarts@theleaf.org
fall 2017 Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) Residencies: theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]
option 1b. fall | Week of October 16, 2017 connecting cultures! who: zulu connection | genre: nola mardis gras indian 5 day residency | grade focus: 3-8 | cost: $900 The Zulu Connection mesmerizes audiences with West African Stilt Dancing & New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians culture. Chief Shaka Zulu will offer special presentations and workshops about this intriguing culture. They are masters of the African form of stilt dancing and ancient mystical masquerades. The Zulu Connection spellbounds its audiences with its colorful and elaborate costumes, tremendous heights, extraordinary acrobatics and magnificent dance move. In the course of a concert the program entertains, but educates as well on African customs, history, musical instruments, masquerades and legends, dispelling common held myths.
music makers! who: vernon “BUDDA BUDDA” Lloyd | genre: Mixed 5 day residency | grade focus: K-8 | cost: TBd Vernon “Budda Budda” Lloyd, Founder of the Music Box Foundation believes in the power of rising leaders and the possibility of music to be a power force in the life of kids in urban or underserved areas. No matter where they live, where they go to school, or what special needs they may have, Budda Budda believes that each deservesto have a music education. This resdiency not only focuses on mastering the art of musicianship, it goes deeper into the potential for unity and strength in community that will ultimately, provide inspiration and purpose to our youth. Come the end of this residency, LEAF and Budda Budda hope that all students feel empowered with the tools and resources to explore, understand, use, and create music.
music traditions of guatemala who: leaf international guatemala exchange 5 day residency | grade focus: 7-12 | cost: $1,000
This residency features experienced LEAF International students from Guatemala to introduce young students to the rich music and dance traditions of El Tejar, Guatemala. By focusing on more than one cultural tradition, students will learn about the great diversity throughout Guatemala Students will learn the traditional string instruments that are chaacteristic of Guatemala as well as dance, song and Guatemalan clothing garments. This residency will provide the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local students to get to know young individuals from Guatemala! Through this cultural exchange, students will be invited to cultivate cross-cultural understanding and a sense of global citizenship. Note: Fall 2017 Visiting Teaching Artist (VTA) Residency Roster will continue to grow. Please let a member of the LEAF team know if you want to be contacted for updates to this list in March.
experience cultural arts at the orange peel! theLEAF.org | 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742]
option 2. student field trip opportunities who: varies artists | genre: cultural arts 11am | grade focus: all ages! | cost: $3/child $5/adult
save these dates, the orange peel will sell out! spring | Monday, May 15, 2017
fall | monday, oct 23, 2017
This is the field trip opportunity you’ve been looking for. Bring your students for a morning filled with music, dancing and culture. Give them the opportunity to learn about different musical styles and instruments as well as learn about a unique and beautiful culture from around the world! LEAF Orange Peel Showcase is a collaborative performance attended by parents, kids, teachers, community leaders, adults, elders, college students and many, many others twice a year in Downtown Asheville. The Orange Peel Showcase brings together a LEAF International group with a Visiting Teaching Artist in order to cultivate a mash-up of dynamic learning and exploration of music and arts from local to global. This is a wonderful opportunity for Asheville’s youth to come together for the common cause of music, art, culture and FUN! Registration is NOW OPEN for Spring 2017 - Legends of Africa Showcase featuring LEAF International Rwanda, LEAF International Haiti and internationally-acclaimed artist, Masankho Banda. Please email culturalarts@theLEAF.org to book your school group or children today! Space limited. Groups showcased in the past include: Squirrel Nut Zippers, LEAF Internatinal Bequia, The Warriors of AniKituhwa, LEAF International Haiti, 23 Skidoo, Jabali Acrobats, M.A.K.U. Soundsystem, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sierra Leone All-Stars & many more!
VISITING TEACHING ARTIST BOOKING FORM Please complete this form and return it to: outreach@theLEAF.org OR CALL 828.68-MUSIC [686-8742] for questions. Name of your organization: Address: City: State: Applicant Website Address: Primary Contact Name: Title: Phone: Email: Name of School Principal or Organization Executive Director: Phone: Email:
Zip:
Collaborating Organization Mission (NOTE - Organizations must have complementary missions):
Residency/Field Trip Requested: Semester: Day(s) of the Week:
Amount Due: $________________ Session Time(s):
Please describe the goals and vision of this VTA Residency with LEAF Community Arts: Source of Funding and Anticipated Cost (District, PTA, Grants, other): Names of Staff members involved in collaboration (& any important contact information): Ages and/or grade levels of youth served:
Number of involved youth anticipated:
Will this involve a performance for the parents or the larger community? NO / YES If so, please describe:
Successful VTA Residencies show the following characteristics: • Typically a non-profit organization, school, or organized group rather than an individual. • Positive and consistent engagement for youth. • Coordinate the youth. • Provide a safe healthy space for classes. • Efficiently uses resources. • Provide transportation to special events including LEAF. • Manage completion of registration forms and return to LEAF office for roster updates. • Support behavior for program success if necessary. • Share any known media restriction issues. • Inform LEAF of any program schedule or location changes. Ability to communicate proactively. • Maintains responsibility for any transportation needs of the program. • Will only use approved logos to maintain marketing/branding integrity of LEAF. • Has either a wide public visibility and/or can access a large target audience/participant base. • Regularly communicates with LEAF and will participate in an evaluation of the residency.