Artists are Superheroes:

Arts Instruction During COVID

We’ve just passed the 6-month mark since the first Shelter-in-Place, and while there are many things that break my heart or infuriate me daily, one thing always brings me joy: arts and the incredible resilience of artists. I’ve been asked many times during this period, “Are your grantees even offering classes right now? How would they even do that?!” The answer: creativity is a superpower!

The arts organizations and teaching artists that we fund have worked tirelessly since the first moments of the shutdown; they’ve diligently retooled their programs for distance learning and are accomplishing incredible things. We are dedicating this newsletter to highlighting their important work.

Brava/Bravo to each and every one of the artists, administrators, and donors who have ensured that Oakland’s students are receiving the healing, restorative power of arts participation during this time of crisis.

You are a huge part of these accomplishments. AOK grants are a community effort comprised of donations from people like you. Please consider donating here to support Oakland’s kids, arts organizations, and artists. 100% of the funds raised will fund grants. They have certainly never needed us more.

Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC)

“We heard from hundreds of teachers and parents desperate to find a way to include art in their child’s learning.” In response, AHC is delivering supplies to vulnerable children and youth through their new Art Kit program. Every Art Kit comes with STEAM compliant lessons and a printed instruction guide created by AHC ArtEsteem educators who are specialists in art integration. AHC is also continuing their weekly integrated visual art programming through live virtual classes that are delivered in coordination with classroom teachers.

Cantare Con Vivo

Cantare Con Vivo is offering weekly music classes to over 2,000 students at six underserved Oakland elementary schools through Zoom each week. Cantare teachers have found creative new ways to make music come alive, including new monthly community singalongs, open to kids and adults of all ages. Children, parents, and even grandparents have been singing along together from home! One parent wrote to say, “My son skipped out of his room today after music, he really enjoyed it. Thank you!”

Chapter 510

During distance learning, Chapter 510 is continuing their partnership with Hoover Elementary by providing 4th graders with weekly online poetry writing workshops and bookmaking activities as part of their school day. The completed poems will be published in another of Chapter 510’s gorgeous, artisanal books that students can treasure for a lifetime. The poems will all be published in both English and Spanish.

The Crucible

By implementing rigorous safety procedures, The Crucible has been able to re-open for onsite, hands-on classes. Faculty and students whose classes were moved outdoors have loved making in the fresh air and sunshine—they may never get them inside again! Crucible is offering a variety of youth class formats this fall including weekend, afterschool, and daytime supplemental education. “We’ve seen an increase in creative output and growth from many of our returning youth since re-opening! The kids are so excited! They want to be here and are really engaged.”

Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS)

Junior Center has been able to continue their visual arts residencies in schools through video teaching. Students and teachers have been overjoyed to have JCAS back and bringing something fun and energetic to their home classrooms. Teachers said, “Students look forward to art class all week; it is especially important right now for students to have a way to communicate their experiences visually and in their own voices.”

Living Jazz

Living Jazz is providing the Living Jazz Children’s Project through Zoom. They have launched their renown choral program for the year and are currently serving 4 schools with 5 classes each week that reach a total of 325 2nd-3rd graders over Zoom. Living Jazz sets the Zoom meetings, send links to the classroom teachers, and those teachers send out the links directly to the families. The students are enthusiastically showing up from their homes!

Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (OPC)

OPC’s Saturday Music School is in full swing with a hybrid design. With the goal of continuing to offer the same number of instructional hours during the pandemic, OPC has split this year’s classes into two days: in-person, outdoor classes on Saturdays and online classes on Wednesdays. The Saturday class is an instrumental focus to support students with the physical development of technique. Wednesday’s focus is a STEAM oriented class, The Joy of Singing, in which students learn to sing through learning about the biology and anatomy that makes singing possible.

Prescott Circus

Prescott is providing their EVERYbody Circus program for Special Education students at Montera Middle school. Many studies are citing the unique challenges special education students and their families are facing with distanced-learning. With daily, online classes, Prescott is working closely with the teachers to use circus and theater arts to alleviate some of these challenges and improve online school engagement. Prescott is providing the juggling equipment for each participant and have created online video tutorials for families and teachers to access in between classes. “The classroom teachers are thrilled to bring the circus work back as their students are in great need of laughter and unique ways to express themselves and connect with one another.”

Reel Stories

At the start of Shelter-in-Place, Reel Stories moved their weekly filmmaking meetings online and provided their students with added equipment for home use, all of which allowed their young filmmakers to complete their projects. Reel Stories is continuing this year online and has found some silver linings. With online classes, they’ve been able to connect a group of non-English speaking students with translation from an inspiring Reel Stories alumnae studying film in the midwest. Their school site, Madison Park, is happy too: “This is an incredible opportunity for our students, and holding this space for them to show up and be allowed to create is very welcome.”

Strings for Pride

Strings for Pride was funded to buy 40 violins for students at East Oakland Pride Elementary. To accommodate distance learning, Strings for Pride leveraged their funding to obtain a matching grant that is allowing them to reach more students with at-home music this fall. 165 3rd-5th grade students have received Flutophones and music packets; they are learning to read and play music over Zoom as part of their school day. The 3rd graders will all also learn violin and will receive violins that they can keep at home.

The People's Conservatory (TPC)

TPC has taken distance learning and turned it into an opportunity to reach more schools and students. They are launching a new platform, TPC University, with over 300 pre-recorded and live courses for levels K-12. They are currently able to provide movement, music, media, and visual arts programming for schools at a fraction of the normal cost of in-person residencies. It is their goal to provide an online space for all youth to explore their creative voices in a school setting as well as at home.

TOaG Quartet

TOaG retooled their in-person jazz clinics into a new Digital Collaboration and Remote Studio Recording Initiative. Their initiative is focused on getting home studio hardware and software into the hands of their students and introducing them to the skills necessary to be studio musicians. The program will culminate in deliverable recordings for each student’s portfolio. Says TOaG, “We need our youth to be creatively engaged more than ever, and we refuse to let a pandemic stop them from sharing their musical voices with the world!”