Monday, January 22, 2007

teatro de la rosa comes up taller

this from the smiling folks at rose marine theater. congrats!

MRS. LAURA BUSH TO HONOR ARTS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH
Honorees from 17 communities in the U.S. and Mexico

WASHINGTON, D.C- Jan 22, 2007 Young people from communities across the U.S. and Mexico who engage in after-school arts and humanities programs that promote educational achievement and productive lives will be honored by Mrs. Laura Bush at a ceremony for the 2006 Coming Up Taller Awards in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the East Room of the White House on Monday, January 22.

From student-produced radio programming in New York, NY, to performing arts steeped in Hispanic culture in Ft. Worth, TX, to an orchestra program that nurtures high academic achievement in Fremont, CA, the honored programs represent a diverse array of experiences that enable young people to nurture their interests under the disciplined and caring tutelage of educators and community leaders. All programs will receive $10,000 in honor of their accomplishments in enriching the lives of young people and their communities.

“Coming Up Taller gives us the chance to celebrate arts programs that are helping boys and girls develop their talents and find their own voices,” said Mrs. Bush. “The programs we recognize with the Coming Up Taller awards bring caring adults into the lives of children so that these children can grow up to be successful and healthy adults themselves.”

Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program, which was founded in 1998.

The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, and provide them with new learning opportunities and a chance to contribute to their communities. The awards also highlight the contributions that historians, scholars, librarians and visual and performing arts make to families and communities by mentoring children. More than 250 nominations were received by the program in 2006.

Created through a partnership between the Latin Arts Association and local community organizations, Teatro de la Rosa enables young people aged eight- to-18 from Fort Worth, Texas to learn all aspects of theater operations, from playwriting to production to performance. Students receive free, on-site classes at the Rose Marine Theater three days a week for 12 weeks in both the fall and spring sessions, and four weeks of instruction during the summer. Through the collaborative involvement of teachers, parent volunteers and fellow students, participants benefit from an immediate network of mentors and friends and learn important skills such as resume- development. Rose Marine Theater staff also provide deserving students with letters of support that lead to internships and careers with professional theaters across the country.

Managed out of the Latin Arts Association’s headquarters, Rose Marine Theater, at 1440 North Main Street, the program has been dubbed the “1440 Experience” by the participants, and has garnered a reputation for transforming the lives of thousands of minority students from underserved communities. Various locations in addition to the Rose Marine Theater also offer the students intensive training free of charge, and participants gain access to the Theater’s other cultural programs as well.

Serving a community that has a significant Hispanic population, TDLR youth program emphasizes cultural identity and sensitivity, with many bilingual plays focusing on Hispanic culture to provide young people the opportunity to discuss topics that are relevant to their neighborhoods and lives. Approximately 80 percent of the students who begin the program continue through graduation.

“Someone once asked me “how many of your actors will go on to a career in theater?” I thought a career in theater? Hmmm, that’s an interesting question.” said Yvonne Duque, Artisitic Director for Teatro de la Rosa. “For me, our youth program is a platform to teach both theatrical and life skills- self confidence, team-work, decision making, and collaboration. By creating live productions students exercise these new skills that feed into other parts of their lives. Through the power of the arts, I have seen young people transform into leaders. They stand taller.”

“Arts and humanities activities have a wonderful way of enabling young people to discover their unique talents and interests while forging a path to success in school and life,” said Adair Margo, Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. “Teatro de la Rosa is especially notable for the way it enables students to play a leading role in discovering their innate abilities while setting the stage for a lifetime of continuing achievement.”

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation, and helps incorporate the humanities and the arts into White House objectives.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Because democracy demands wisdom, the National Endowment for the Humanities serves and strengthens our Republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners. For more information please visit the following Web sites:

Teatro de la Rosa: www.rose marinetheater.com
Coming Up Taller: www.comingu ptaller.org
President’s Committee on the Arts and the
Humanities: www.pcah.gov
National Endowment for the Arts: www.arts.gov
National Endowment for the Humanities: www.neh.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services: www.imls.gov

***Go to myspace/rosemarinetheater to check out
video footage on Teatro de la Rosa's youth program***

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home