Super Saturdays!
Karen Mills Jennings, Outreach Coordinator. 810.237.1350 ext.137
It’s Saturday morning at the Flint Institute of Music and there’s a new excitement in the air. Students ranging from four to 16 are enjoying a variety of music and dance classes. Their parents, care-givers and siblings are here, too, taking part in classes and special workshops. These dynamic programs are all part of our second year offering Super Saturdays, another exhilarating program here at the FIM!
Super Saturdays is a vehicle for students in one of the FIM’s many tuition-free programs to transition to on-site study of music or dance at the Flint School of Performing Arts. “We see these students all the time,” said program coordinator Glen Holcomb, “the ones who have a special spark and really connect with the experience they’re having in one of our programs. But up until now, there has been no realistic way for them to come here to our building to study.”
Super Saturdays gives young people a place to go on Saturday mornings for classes in beginning ballet, creative movement and hip hop, and the chance to try a variety of instruments, sing and drum. “We try to remove as many barriers to participation as possible by providing transportation, as well as workshops for the parents or caregivers,” said FSPA tuition-free Director Karen Mills Jennings. “The idea is to have our Atrium serve as a sort of community center where everyone feels comfortable gathering.”
The program is funded by a three-year grant from the Ruth Mott Foundation and will continue through the school year.
For more information, call Glen Holcomb at 810.238.1350 ext. 134
The Flint School of Performing Arts works with community
organizations to provide programs for all members of the community.
Students with Special Needs - Special needs students also find opportunities at the FSPA to experience the thrill of performing arts through music and movement classes.
Select Your Energy and Move! - Music, dance, and theatre offer creative outlets that can have a tremendously positive impact on young people. The FSPA, in collaboration with the Flint Housing Commission, brings children living in family housing complexes together for 90 minutes, once a week.
Pierce School/Cultural Center Campus Classes - FSPA instructors work with fifth and sixth graders from Pierce Elementary School who attend classes on the Cultural Center Campus. Throughout the school year, students are exposed to a variety of programs that provide an overview of the performing arts as part of their daily curriculum. They participate in projects, including dance classes, as well as staging portions of Nutcracker, and writing and producing their own musical.
Field Study Visits - Elementary students from Flint and Genesee County visit the FSPA for meaningful performing arts experiences, including dance and music classes.
Head Start - One of the most successful and longest-running outreach programs at the FSPA is six-day residency for Flint Head Start children. Head Start provides children ages three to five from low-income families a chance to participate in FIM's innovative programs designed specifically for the development of young children. Each year over 550 children participate in creative movement and music.
Music on the Move - FSPA student ensembles travel throughout the area to perform for a variety of groups from civic organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, to high-profile events such as the Buick Open Pairings Party. More than 50 concerts are performed each year.
Movement for Life - This creative movement program is another collaboration with the Flint Housing Commission and is designed just for seniors, even those with limited mobility. It is currently offered at Mince Manor and Simmons Square senior housing facilities in Flint.
Evenstart and SKIP - Based on the popular and important Early Childhood Music Program, this provides teenage parents the opportunity to introduce their children (ages birth through three) to the benefits of music.
Tuition Free Programs sponsored by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Ruth Mott Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Summerfield and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. |
