Artists Striving to End Poverty Offer 3 Days of Workshops
Jan. 28–30, 2018
Visiting artist Aaron Rossini with Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) will provide free, public, all-ages workshops Jan. 28–30, 2018, both at Grinnell College and in town, as part of "The Artist as Citizen." His visit will end with a final sharing and reflection where the audience can view the devised theatre pieces and talk with participants.
ASTEP is an international non-profit organization that provides arts education and empowerment programs for underserved youth. It was conceived by a Broadway musical director and Juilliard students to transform the lives of youth using the most powerful tool they had: their art. Today, ASTEP connects performing and visual artists with underserved youth in the U.S. and around the world to awaken their imaginations, foster critical thinking, and help them break the cycle of poverty.
Aaron Rossini is an actor, director, producer and teacher in New York. He received his B.F.A. in Acting from Miami University of Ohio and completed his M.F.A. at the Brown University/Trinity Rep Graduate Program. He is a founder and an artistic director at Fault Line Theatre and a teaching artist with ASTEP.
"The Artist as Citizen" is brought to Grinnell with the support of the College's Office of Community Enhancement and Engagement, Department of Music, Wilson Center, Artists@Grinnell, and Center for the Humanities, as well as the Grinnell Area Arts Council.
Sunday, Jan. 28
The Artist as Citizen
4–5:30 p.m., The Stew, 927 Broad Street, downtown Grinnell.
Who are you, who do you want to be, and what is your mission? Learn how to intertwine what you are passionate about with the needs of your community.
Lead with Your Art
7–8:30 p.m., The Stew, 927 Broad Street, downtown Grinnell.
As a practicing artist, you have a lot more skills as an educator than you are utilizing; let us help you unearth your hidden talents as a teaching artist. A focus on the best practices and approaches to teaching the arts in a wide spectrum of community settings.
Monday, Jan. 29
Exiting the Comfort Zone
11–12:30 p.m., Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Rotunda
An exploration of how art can be used effectively for cross-cultural exchange. We will examine what it means to bring yourself to another culture and to pull that culture into yourself.
Devising with ASTEP (Session 1)
4:15 p.m., Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Room 154, Wall Theatre Lab
Participants will create pieces around a common theme, drawing from their own personal experiences with the help of a few inspiring prompts and some useful techniques for devising.
Artistry, Activism, and Entrepreneurship
7–8:30 p.m., Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Rotunda
In this workshop participants will be challenged, through tried and true methods, to find their personal mission, their artistic voice, and use them both to change the world around them.
Tuesday January 30
IMPROV-ing the World with ASTEP
11–12:30 p.m., Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Faulconer Gallery
Are you interested in using your passion for improv and/or devised theater to positively impact the world around you? Come play with us, and learn how we balance the rigor of composition with the wild courage of improvisation to create original poems, plays, murals and musicals with young people all over the globe.
Devising with ASTEP (Session 2)
4–5:30 p.m., Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Rotunda
Participants will create pieces around a common theme, drawing from their own personal experiences with the help of a few inspiring prompts and some useful techniques for devising. (You can attend session 2 whether or not you attend session 1.)
Final Sharing and Reflection
7–8:30 p.m., Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Rotunda
Come watch devised theatre pieces created by participants, and reflect on what you witnessed by participating in a talkback between creators and the audience.